


Bane of My Existence

by DreamHowler



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Band Fic, M/M, pre-HBP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2005-08-27
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2017-11-15 23:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 87,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/532838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamHowler/pseuds/DreamHowler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over the summer, Harry Potter starts getting mysterious letters from a guy that claims he wants to apologize for all the stuff that he has ever done to him. Then, when he gets back to school, he finds out that someone is starting a band and decides to change his appearance so he has a chance to be in it. Who is this mysterious letter writer? Will Harry get into the band and fool the school into thinking he is someone else?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mysterious Writer

**Author's Note:**

> Author Notes: I want to thank my beta’s who have helped me fix up this story in the past and present. Much thanks to Keikokin and Messiah for this chapter.
> 
> Canon Notes: This story is Pre-HBP, and takes place in my version of Harry Potter's seventh year, based on the events of the first five books. Most of the content of this story will obviously be filled with different information because Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out, and many things have changed that I will not be mentioning here. I will be taking some spells and some small events out of HBP, but the majority of this will make this an AU. 
> 
> Copyright: This plot/story is ©2004 - 2013 by Dream Howler. This story is the sole property of its author, and may not be copied, in whole or in part, or posted on any other website without the written permission of the author. As for the Characters that are in this story, they are the property of J.K. Rowling, and are only being borrowed for my enjoyment. I am not receiving money for writing this story, and have no money for any lawyers to take should they decide to sue me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Prologue:**  
  
Harry sighed as he lay back on his bed, finally taking a break from his summer studies, and let his mind wander. He couldn’t believe that so many people looked to him in the hope that he, Harry, just Harry, would save them from one of the darkest wizards of all time. When Harry was just a baby, he became the hero of the Wizarding World, and became famous for something he could barely remember, and wanted more than anything to forget. It had always bothered him that he became famous for something he had no control over.  
  
Over the years, Harry had felt like an outsider, watching helplessly as his life spun out of control. He couldn’t help feeling hurt, helpless, angry and used when he went from being a hero, to a liar; having never told a lie in his life; to crazy and then suddenly, back to being the Wizarding World hero once more, even though he hated it all.  
  
Last year, he had narrowly escaped Voldemort’s clutches again, and lived to tell the tale yet again, although it left him with several more nightmares, not the first being that he watched Sirius fall through the veil on a continuous loop, as though it were a broken record.  
  
He was starting his Seventh year at Hogwarts at the end of the summer. There wasn’t much for him to do other than study, and complete the work assigned for the break by his teachers. Some might call Harry a hero, but in reality, he was following his heart, and becoming an artist.  
  
One day during his Fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry asked the Room of Requirement to provide something soothing to do after enduring a stressful day. Instead of what he expected, a bass guitar appeared, much to his surprise. Harry decided to try it and he quickly realized that he was what some would consider a natural at it, though it did take a lot of hard work to learn the proper chords. Arranging time to practice during the school year was hard to arrange, especially with Umbridge always looking for something to take from him, or get him in trouble. He managed it however, and after awhile, Harry realized that he could not only play well, but also did a good job at singing as well as writing music. No one really knew just how good he was, since he never allowed anyone to hear him. It was his private joy.  
  
Halfway through his Fifth year, when Umbridge was at her worst, Professor Dumbledore had caught Harry using the Room of Requirement to practice his guitar. Thinking to encourage the boy, Dumbledore gave Harry a new place to practice his music, with the only rule being, to keep his grades up. The new location was an old music classroom that was no longer in use; and it was truly wonderful. It had the strongest silencing charms available, since it used to hide loud music. It had pleased him that he was able to continue practicing, making sure that no one found out. The rest of the world thought that Harry was just a liar at the time, and even Ron and Hermione didn't know he played. Harry was just the ‘Saviour of the World’ in their eyes, and that was all they needed to know. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Chapter 1 - The Mysterious Writer**  
  
Harry had survived his first week at the Dursley’s, glad that the whole family was leaving him alone for the most part. Not really expecting anything in the way of mail, Harry was shocked to hear a tapping on his window. It wasn't the first letter he received that summer, but it took him a moment to realize that the letter wasn't from one of his friends. The beautiful tawny owl had flown in holding a rather plain looking envelope that didn't have much in the way of markings, except for his name. Turning it over, he saw that the envelope bore a silver seal with three stars and a wand. Not recalling ever having received a letter with that seal before, he was a bit hesitant to open it. However, after a week of boredom at the Dursley’s, he figured it would be okay. It wasn’t as if Voldemort would suddenly start sending him letters; right? Harry asked himself.  
  
Cautiously, he opened the envelope, pulled out the letter, and began to read. The writing was in elegant script he didn’t recognize, and he became even more curious than he was before.  
  


> _Dear Harry,  
>   
>  It has been a week since I last saw you, and you don't know how much I wish I were with you. It's rather lonely in my home with only the silence for company, and of course, my music. Do you know that very few people even know that I play an instrument? Of course you don't, since you don't even know who I am. Did you know it was once common to teach any child who had a musical gift, be it singing, or playing an instrument? It seems to me, that many parents are leaving behind the traditions of the past. I often wonder what will happen to me after I get out of school.  
>   
>  I am sure you are wondering why I wrote you this letter, but I guess I don't really know myself. Perhaps I won't even mail it, though I don’t know… maybe I will. I have never been one to back down from something that I want, except one time. I regret that moment every day—the day I gave up, and let it walk away without even a backwards glance.  
>   
>  The main purpose of this correspondence is more of a wish than as a real letter. I wish I could tell you in person how sorry I am for the way I have treated you over the years, but for now, this is all I can do about it. In reality, I could probably never tell you to your face how sorry I am, and have you believe me. Until the day that I can get up enough courage to tell you who I am, I will remain your ever-apologizing subject.  
>   
>  Caesius  
>   
>  P.S. My owl will stay with you until you reply. Please take good care of him. His name is Arrow._

  
Harry blinked as he finished reading the letter. The first thing Harry noticed was that this was definitely a male's handwriting, since a female's handwriting tended to be more curvy and loopy. He looked at the owl for a few moments and shrugged. _'What would writing back to him hurt? Although, it could be a trap, couldn't it? Perhaps it’s a reporter taking a chance to get information out of me. Well, let's hope I am wrong, and that this person is okay,’_ Harry thought.  
  
Harry sat back down at his tiny desk, took out a piece of parchment, ink, and quill, and tried to decide how to reply. When he had finally finished, he carefully folded the parchment and put it in an envelope. He wrote ‘Caesius’ in a neat scrawling script, and carefully tied it to the owl's leg. "Okay, Arrow, take this letter back to your owner. I am sure he is eagerly awaiting it."  
  
 _'Perhaps,'_ Harry thought, _'this summer might turn out interesting after all.’_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Caesius paced nervously after he sent out his owl, Arrow. He was almost positive that Harry wouldn't write back, but he could hope, right? He sighed as he went to his closet, pulling out clothes for bed, while trying to forget the sounds of a nearly desolate house. Caesius' father was still in Azkaban, which he still had yet to thank Harry for. Caesius reasoned that for the most part, it kept his father out of harms way.  
  
 _‘Perhaps I can thank Harry once he forgives me,'_ Caesius thought. _'Well, **if** he does. At any rate, I bet he won't write me back. I’d wager bet he has already figured out who I am, and will send my owl home.’ _ Caesius sighed again as he got undressed, pulled on a pair of pyjamas, and laid down to go to sleep. He would just have to wait and see if Harry would reply.  
  
The next morning, Caesius awoke to a loud tapping on the window. Still groaning from being startled awake, he crawled to the window sluggishly. Attached to his owl's leg was a letter, and it took several moments for his sleepy mind to realize its significance. _'He wrote me back!!!'_ Caesius thought excitedly. Pulling open the letter, Caesius eagerly read the reply.  
  


> _Dear Caesius,_
> 
> _Well, since I don't know anyone by that name who has hurt me over the years; I assume it’s a nickname. Did you choose it yourself, or did someone give it to you? Since you won't tell me who you are, I guess “Caesius” is what I will use. It is an interesting nickname actually._
> 
> _I figured it wouldn't hurt to write you back. I mean; I doubt that you could be Voldemort, considering he would never apologize to me for anything. Of course, you could be one of his followers, or a reporter, so forgive me for being suspicious. On the other hand, I doubt Voldemort would have any of his followers write to me either; it doesn't seem to be his style. He seems to like doing things face-to face._
> 
> _So, on that note, perhaps you could tell me what exactly you are apologizing for. Many people have hurt me over the years, so it’s a rather long list to choose from. If you don't feel up to giving me specifics yet, then tell me something about you that I wouldn't know. Tell me about your music. I like all kinds of music myself._
> 
> _I am kind of wondering about your previous statement, about you wanting to be with me. Are you saying that you just wish I were around, so you could apologize in person? Or do you really want to be with me—you know, as in **more** than just friends? On the other hand, perhaps I’m being silly, and you just miss me being around to argue with you._
> 
> _Well, regardless of your reasoning, I guess the statement rather confused me. If Hermione was here, I am sure she would probably think I was crazy for writing someone who claims to know me. She, or Ron, Erm, maybe both, would probably accuse you of being a reporter for the Daily Prophet, or even one of Voldemort's followers. I don't really get that vibe from the letter you wrote me, but I am not going to totally trust you - just yet._
> 
> _Anyway, since you made the first move here, is there anything about me you would like to know? I suppose the main purpose of sending these letters was to get to know me better, right? Regardless, I hope you are not disappointed by my reply._
> 
> _Harry_   
> 

  
Caesius was shocked. Harry had written a nice letter to him, and wanted to get to know him! Caesius was ecstatic. Perhaps, by the time the summer was over, he could reveal himself to Harry, and they could be friends, or maybe more. Caesius could dream, right?  
  
Taking out a piece of parchment, he began to formulate his reply. It needed to be witty, so unlike what Harry knew him to be. He wanted to bare his soul, one not even his closet friends had seen before. An hour later, Caesius set down his quill. He decided to let Arrow rest, and have him deliver it in the morning. He gave his owl some treats and began preparing for the rest of the day. As he got dressed, Caesius hummed cheerfully as thoughts of Harry flashed through his mind, and he couldn't be happier.  
  
The next morning, Caesius sent Arrow off with his reply, and watched from the window until the owl faded into the distance. He rang a bell for a house-elf, giving him his breakfast order when it appeared, before crawling back in bed with a new potions book his mother had gotten him. He sighed as he thought of her; the house wasn't the same when she was out visiting her friends. He was lonely, and wanted someone to talk to.  
  
 _'At least I have Harry to write to,'_ he thought happily. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Harry eagerly waited for the return of Arrow. He knew that he shouldn't expect the bird back so soon, but Caesius did say he was lonely. Perhaps he would let his owl rest before giving him another letter.  
  
 _'I doubt Caesius would like his owl to tire out, even if he is eager to write me.'_  
  
Harry was surprised that he was waiting anxiously for a return letter. Though, the main thing he was waiting for was his impending birthday. Once Harry's birthday rolled around, he would finally be free of the Dursleys forever. It was a moment that he had treasured in his heart for years: the day he could finally tell Uncle Vernon how he felt about him, **_if_** he got up enough courage to do so. Wondering what to do, he carefully let Hedwig out of her cage and slipped a little sack around the bird's leg. "Girl, could you take this to the _Daily Prophet_ , and get me a paper?" Hedwig hooted softly, nibbled affectionately on his finger, and then flew out the window.  
  
While waiting for his owl to come back with the day's paper, Arrow swooped in the open window with a loud hoot. Harry smiled. The owl was a beautiful creature, though not as beautiful as his Hedwig. He quickly fed the owl some treats, and sat down on his bed to read his new letter.  
  


> _Dear Harry,  
>   
>  Thank you for returning my letter. I want to assure you that I wouldn't work for the Prophet for all the money in the Wizarding World. The only reason I read it most of the time, is because I am bored, and who wants to read the Quibbler? Well, perhaps Lovegood would, but she has an excuse, right? Her dad **does** own the paper, after all. Regardless, I was very happy to see Arrow had returned with a letter. As to your questions, well those are pretty easy and harmless  
>   
>  Caesius is of Latin origin. My mother gave me the nickname when I was little, though she hasn't used it in many years. It's actually more of a private name for me now, one that I use when I feel lonely, or lost. Yes, lost. It's amazing how often people will look at me, and never think that those words would ever apply to me. That feeling of loss definitely comes out in my music though. My best friend is always telling me how soulful my songs are, though if you knew my father the way I do, you would understand all of this better.  
>   
>  As for my comment about wanting to be with you, well - I guess you could say it's a bit of both of the ones you mentioned. I **do** owe you a more personal apology than the one I have offered you here, especially since you don't even know who is apologizing yet. However, I know that if I tell you who I am at this point, I will never receive another letter from you again. So, instead of telling you who I am, I will ask for your advance forgiveness for waiting so long.  
>   
>  Now, let's move on to more pleasant topics. My music is the only thing that keeps me sane these days. Though people look at me and think that I don't have any problems, they would be dead wrong. I am by no means stupid, far from it in fact. Not that I am trying to be arrogant or anything, but I work very hard to make the grades I do. Some wouldn't really agree with that statement, but it’s true.  
>   
>  You aren't the only person that I owe apologies to, but those can wait for now. I know once you discover who I am, or I get the guts to tell you, you will realize that apologies don't really come easy to me. In fact, you are probably the first person I have ever sincerely wanted to apologize to in my life. All the other apologies I have made over the years, I never meant it, or I felt forced to make them.  
>   
>  Since we are getting to know each other here, I have a question for you. Have you ever done something in your life that you regret? I mainly mean something like choices in friends, actions, et cetera. I know I have. One mistake I regret more than anything involves a choice in friends. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you just how that one error has affected my whole life.  
>   
>  Well, I suppose I should let you go and let you get some sleep.  
>   
>  Caesius _

  
  
Harry looked at the letter, silently wondering why he suddenly got the feeling that this was someone he knew very well. Harry shrugged, took out a piece of parchment, and penned a reply. After he was done, he smiled and wondered how long it would take this mystery boy to tell him who he was. 

  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Caesius woke up the next morning slightly worried. He was hoping that he didn't give Harry enough information to give himself away too badly in the last letter he had written. Caesius hated to keep this a secret from him. However, he felt strongly that if Harry discovered his identity, he would never want to get to know him. Caesius was sure that he was the bane of Harry's existence; well, besides You-Know-Who, of course.  
  
He doubted he could ever tell Harry how attractive he thought he was. Last year, he had walked in on Harry in the Prefect's Bathroom, just as Harry was about to step into the bath, and Caesius saw Harry in all his glory. Caesius knew that Harry was Quidditch Captain, and there was a possibility that he would be there, but that definitely wasn’t what he expected when he had opened the door.  
  
Harry had decided to grow out his hair a bit more after his Fifth year. By the time he came back for Sixth year, he was the talk of Hogwarts. In fact, Caesius was pleased to note that Harry had finally gotten rid of the baggy clothes that he used to wear. Caesius was never quite sure who had helped him, but he looked good in all of his new clothes.  
  
 _'Hmmm, that's something to ask him in the next letter,'_ Caesius mused.  
  
Arrow swept into the room then, and landed, exhausted, on the bed. "Hello Arrow. You sure came back fast, you could have rested, you know," Caesius scolded the bird affectionately. Arrow hooted softly, grabbed an owl treat, and flew over to his perch for a nap. After he eagerly unrolled the parchment, Caesius read the new letter. 

> _Dear Caesius,  
>   
>  It's interesting to see that we have a few things in common. I was just thinking about music when your latest letter arrived. Do you write your own music? Do you ever listen to Muggle music? You would be amazed at the large variety of brilliant Muggle music out there.  
>   
>  As to your question, I regret many things in my life, unfortunately. If you know anything about me at all, and not the rumours that dang Rita woman publishes, then you will know most of my tragic details. Truthfully, I regret many things, though the largest, hands-down, was my Godfather's death. He was pretty much the only true family I had left, especially since the Muggles that I have lived with for the majority of the last 17 years, have never treated me like family. _  
>   
> _I was just a freak to them, locked away in a cupboard under the stairs until I turned eleven. Then, I suddenly got a tiny, little bedroom, which is where I stay now. I got what seemed like thousands of Hogwarts letters, though if it hadn't been for Hagrid, who came to find me, I probably would have never made it to Hogwarts at all._  
>   
>  _My Uncle definitely didn’t want me to go to Hogwarts, and become even more of a "freak" than I already was. I think his main concern was that he was going to have to pay for it. Luckily, my parents left me a good sum of money in the family vault.  
>   
>  As far as friend choices, well... there was one that I’ve always had a "what if" thought about. I’m not sure if you really knew that about me. I was just an abused, scared eleven-year-old the day I met the person who would become one of my enemies. I didn't really know he would become one at the time though. Hagrid had just saved me from my horrible relatives and I was still in shock. I had just learned, by his arrival in fact, that I wasn’t a ‘freak’ as my Muggle relatives always said I was, but was in fact, a wizard. My head was still spinning from the news, and I wasn’t all that aware of anything else going on around me. That day, my birthday in fact, and I finally found out what really happened to my parents; my relatives never told me the truth, they said that they had died in a car accident. In addition, I found out I was destined to be a "thumping good wizard," Hagrid informed me.  
>   
>  I met my soon-to-be enemy at my very first robe shop. He had this amazing blond hair, and these liquid sliver-blue eyes. Sometimes those eyes haunt me in my dreams. It was too bad that he reminded me too much of my mean cousin, Dudley. Dudley's favourite pastime was ‘Harry Hunting’—also known as beating me into a pulp. I was small growing up, and it didn't help that they barely fed me either. Dudley was more than four or five times my size in mass, and later became a boxing champion in school. Between the blond’s talk of money, and trying to break school rules by smuggling in a broom, he didn't really impress me. Later he insulted Ron, the first boy my age that I made friends with in the new world I had entered, and by the time he told me to stay away from Ron, I decided I didn't like his attitude at all.  
>   
>  Sadly, the blond hated me after that. I think I wounded his pride. Guess he didn't realize at the time that insulting my new friend wasn't the wisest way to make a new friend, and that his name couldn't impress me, because I had no idea who he was. After being told that all Dark Wizards are sorted into Slytherin, and the fact that the blond was sorted there as well, I begged the hat to put me anywhere else.  
>   
>  If I hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor, there is no telling what might have happened between that blond and I. Maybe we might have become friends, but after his father's repeated attempts to hurt me over the years, I suppose it's just as well we didn't become friends. It would be nice to go back to school this year and have a worry free year where he is concerned. He did put a stop to some of his animosity towards my friends and I last year, though it wasn't enough. If he could just stop the mean, sarcastic comments all the time, he might be nice to hang out around. Perhaps I’ll make it a birthday wish.  
>   
>  Anyway, I am probably boring you to tears with my life history. Of course, not many know that particular bit of information except he and I... well, and now you of course. Why don't you tell me something about your history? Maybe I can guess who you are without you having to tell me. Write me soon, but let the owl have a little rest, huh?  
>   
>  Harry_

  
  
Caesius blinked. Like most of the Wizarding World, Caesius thought that the Boy-Who-Lived led a charmed life with the Muggle relatives he lived with. Finding out that not only was he abused, but degraded to the status of a house-elf for said Muggles, made him extremely mad. Caesius knew, however, that since Harry was almost 17, he could probably leave their house after school this year. Harry would probably be so happy to be coming back to school this year that Caesius decided to make sure that Harry’s birthday wish came true.  
  
As to the letter, Caesius had no idea how to respond. He was sure that Harry wouldn't want his pity. Caesius was actually surprised how open Harry was about the past 17 years of his life. Harry had probably figured out who he was, and decided to continue writing anyway, trying to clear the air between them. Caesius sighed with relief, and read the letter again.  
  
Pulling out a quill and some parchment, he started to think of a reply. He started humming softly as he replied in his neat handwriting, choosing deep blue ink this time from his colour-changing inkpot. Caesius loved that he didn't have to run around carrying tons of different coloured inks to write letters. All he had to do was tap it with his quill, state the colour he wanted, and it changed to that colour.  
  
Since it was rather late, Caesius decided to send off the letter in the morning, and tucked it in a safe place in case someone came in to check on him in the night. Normally it didn't happen, but life was unpredictable. He just hoped that Harry would be as oblivious as usual, and not notice who he was from his latest letter. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
The next day, around noon, found Harry coming back from making lunch for his relatives. He was used to this by now, and it was easier to just do it than have them yell at him again. He was ever thankful that he had shot up to a respectable five foot, ten inches tall after his last growth spurt. He wasn't as tall as Ron was though, who topped the six-foot scale like the rest of his family, well, aside from Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, although Ginny was closer to her bothers’ in height.  
  
Harry felt blessed every day, knowing that he had the Weasleys. They gave him the love that he missed for the first 11 years of his life. Everyone in the family loved and supported him, but especially Ron. Harry still hadn’t told Ron about his sexuality preferences yet, and that bothered him. He had almost told Ron on several occasions over the last year, but it seemed that every time he thought to bring it up, he would loose his nerve. He just didn't want to lose his best friend because he was gay.  
  
Plopping down on the bed, Harry grabbed a book, and started doing the rest of his homework. Dudley always teased him about it, saying only freaks would assign school work over the summer holiday’s, but Harry couldn’t think of a better way to spend the time he was stuck with them, than doing something that reminded him of the world he really belonged to. He had just finished a History of Magic essay when he heard the telltale knocking of an owl on his window. He saw two owls this time, his own, and Arrow, which had Harry breaking out in a huge grin.  
  
Closing his books, he walked over to the window. Hedwig was carrying the _Daily Prophet,_ and Arrow was, of course, bearing his new letter from the anonymous apologist. Taking them from the birds, he quickly scanned the headlines of the _Prophet_ to make sure that nothing important was there. Finding nothing major in his quick search, he smiled and settled down on his bed to read his new letter.  
  


>   
> _Dear Harry,_
> 
> _I don't know what to say after your last letter. I had no idea that you were so badly mistreated at home. If I could, I would make sure they paid for that. You are by no means, a freak like they claim. I can tell you are a very kind, caring, and loyal person—a true Gryffindor. What is most amazing though, is that if you have never had the love at home, at least you have friends._
> 
> _To your questions: yes, I do write my own music. I also play guitar and piano. I learned to play the piano first. But later, I decided to pick up the guitar, and I like it better, really. My best friend loves playing the piano, so we get together a lot to play. You have expressed an interest in music yourself. Do you play anything? Do you sing? If you don't feel like you can tell me, just let me know. It would be nice to have someone to discuss music with other than my friend._
> 
> _The story about your known problems with Draco Malfoy is interesting. I doubt that he even knows that you feel that way. Yes, I figured out who the blond is in your story. It didn't take a genius to figure it out, everyone pretty much knows by now that you two have been at odds for years, and he is the only boy that fits the description you gave at our school. You didn't bore me with your story about Draco Malfoy, actually. In fact, it was interesting to hear it from your point of view._
> 
> _Anyway, I do have a question that you might be able to help me with; it has caused me to wonder a lot. I noticed you came back last year better dressed, and, well, hot. I was wondering who helped you. I don't know if you noticed it or not, but the normal stares associated with you changed a lot last year. I have a feeling you didn't though, or you just weren't interested in who was staring at you. That does make me wonder about something, but I think it's a little early to ask you that question._
> 
> _I hope that my previous question didn't offend you. I guess in a roundabout way, I was trying to pay you a compliment. I hope that you realize that, and don't think further ill of me. I am looking forward to your next letter._
> 
> _Caesius_   
> 

  
Harry stared at the letter for a long time. _'This person is very observant. At least it doesn't **seem** to be Colin.'_ Harry shivered at the thought. Colin had begun taking pictures of Harry so much last year, that he had nearly smashed the boy's camera. Eventually, he had to get the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall to tell him to stop harassing him.  
  
Harry then found out that someone had cast a spell on Colin, which made him sing out random thoughts for a day. After that, Colin was so embarrassed that he never bothered Harry with his camera again. No one knew who had cast the spell, but Harry had a sneaking suspicion that it was Hermione. _'Never cross her,'_ Harry thought. _'It is not a good idea.'_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Time passed quickly for Harry. His seventeenth birthday came and went, and he was finally free of the Dursleys, which was one of the better presents he received. The letters continued on an almost daily basis, but Harry didn't tell anyone about them or from the mysterious Caesius. Caesius often teased and flirted with him in his letters, and they had become quite personal in nature. Harry wasn't comfortable letting anyone, not even Hermione, read them. He had asked Caesius several times who he was, but each time the boy told him that he would tell him when they got back to school, where he could apologize properly.  
  
Each time the boy sent this as his response, Harry felt a little heartbroken. Over time, he had started to fall in love with the mysterious boy, and he didn't know what to do. Harry had finally told Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys that he was gay, which they took pretty well, considering. Ron was a little flustered, and was mad at him for a while. However, as Harry later found out, he didn't like the fact that Harry had known for so long, and never told him. Out of all the Weasley clan, Ginny took Harry's news the hardest. Though she had claimed she had gotten over her crush on him, Harry could tell that she was completely heartbroken, but she seemed to have learned to accept it.  
  
Harry sat down with his latest owl from Caesius in his room, and smiled, wondering what he would say this time.  
  


  


> _ Dearest Handsome Harry,  
>   
>  My, that does sound a bit corny, but I couldn't think of anything else right now. How are you today? I really enjoyed your last letter. It really brightened my day. I didn't really have a good day myself, though I don't really want to talk about it. Luckily, I turned 17 a couple of months ago, so I was able to make the problem go away legally.  
>   
>  Anyway, enough about the depressing topics, I am sure we can find something more interesting to talk about than my wretched day. I was happy when I received your last letter, and found out that you were finally rid of those Muggles who treated you so badly. I don't know how anyone could do that to such a kind-hearted, sweet guy, especially one who has the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen, and with a lithe body like a tiger. You will never know how many times I would follow you down the halls last year, just to watch your arse as you walked.  
>   
>  I know, I sound like a stalker or something, but it's true. The most amazing thing is, that you don't even see it yourself. I guess you could say it is one of your more endearing qualities. I could go on all day about that, but I certainly don't want to make you uncomfortable.  
>   
>  You mentioned in one of your letters, that you went to a Muggle salon to get your makeover, and I must say, that they did a good job. Really, you look much better with the longer hair; it makes your wild tousled look seem much tamer in comparison to before. I have never had trouble with fashion myself, though it was nice to see you out of those rags, sorry, don’t mean to offend you. I don't think I noticed how nice looking you were until you came back to school last year though. Of course, the added height did wonders for that as well. I am glad that you finally had a growth spurt.  
>   
>  As for your last letter, you mentioned the Weasleys; and the love that they share in abundance, and how that is better than all the money in the world. I can't say that I have ever had that kind of love. My parents' marriage was arranged at their birth, and I was just made to produce an heir for the family line to continue. They sleep in separate bedrooms, and lead different lives. I think it's funny really, since I happen to be gay. Maybe it's just fate's idea of a joke.  
>   
>  I am glad that your friends took your telling them that you’re gay so well. In times of war, it is nice to know that you have loyal friends. Anyway, on this last thought, I will close this letter. I thought I would let you know that you have forced me to grow up a lot these last two years and for that I thank you. You don't know how much your letters have meant to me this summer, especially the trust you have given me, in sharing so much of your personal life with me, when I haven’t even told you who I am.  
>   
>  Caesius _

  
Harry quickly penned a response back. He had gotten the feeling over the last two months that Caesius was rather rich. Not knowing the social status of anyone in the wizarding world, Caesius could be anyone by now. Though, by his comments on the arranged marriage of his parents, he narrowed his mysterious writer down to a pureblood. Harry didn't really care what kind of background Caesius had, he had never been one to take up pure-blood prejudices since he wasn't one.  
  
When he finished the letter, he attached it to Arrow, and watched as the bird took off. Hermione had noticed the owl over the summer, and had asked him several times, whom the letters were from. He didn't really tell her much about Caesius, just that he was a friend that he had gotten to know over the summer. Hermione looked like she wanted to pry, but strangely didn't mention her suspicions to anyone, not even to Ron that Harry could tell. If Ron knew about a mysterious letter-writer, Harry doubted that he would have kept quiet about it. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione watched Harry as he sent out another letter to the mysterious Caesius that he had been writing. When Harry was out of his room, Hermione even snuck in, and tried to find the letters that they had been writing back and forth. She knew that Harry kept them all in a box, but she had no idea where he might hide them. Hermione figured that perhaps this was Harry's boyfriend, but she wouldn't know for sure until they got to school.  
  
Unfortunately, each time that Hermione tried to find the box, she suddenly remembered she had something to do somewhere else. After a while, it dawned on her that Harry had some sort of spell on his trunk that let no one open it, but him. She could of course, end the spell, but if she did, Harry would know that someone had been there. For now, Hermione would have to think of another way to get more information about this person. If Harry was writing someone he didn't know, he could be in danger. Harry did say that the guy was a friend, though she had never heard him mention a Caesius before the letters started arriving.  
  
Hermione had actually checked the school records, and found no one with that name, which meant that it was a nickname of some sort. _'Perhaps Harry gave it to him,'_ Hermione thought. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, when Harry’s copy of the _Daily Prophet_ had arrived; his owl, Hedwig, who sat quietly while he fed her some bacon off his plate, momentarily distracted him from the paper. Hermione, eager to see what news was in the _Prophet_ , excitedly untied it from Hedwig’s leg, and began to scan the front page. The headline of the newspaper caused her to gasp, and blink several times before she spoke, startling the each of the table’s occupants out of their own thoughts. “Lucius Malfoy is dead, “she said as she quickly read the article aloud to room.  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

> MYSTERIOUS DEATHS AT AZKABAN!  
>   
>  A _Daily Prophet – SPECIAL NEWS REPORT_  
>   
>  By Rita Skeeter  
>   
>  August 21, 1997  
>   
>  Lucius Malfoy, among others, convicted of being Death Eaters in 1996 by the Ministry of Magic, died yesterday due to several dark, poisonous potions. The Ministry will not confirm anything at this time. There are those in the Ministry who think that either they committed suicide, or someone deliberately put the poison in their food.  
>   
>  An investigation is now being conducted, to determine the cause. Speculations are running wild within the Ministry of Magic, and some even attribute the deaths to You-Know-Who, to ensure that they could not tell any of his plans.  
>   
>  His wife, Narcissa, and their son, Draco, who incidentally, is now the sole heir to the Malfoy fortune, now survive Mr. Lucius Malfoy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

  
If Hermione expected a loud response to the article, she was sadly disappointed. It seemed that the whole table didn’t know how to respond, though she did hear one or two mutterings about ‘deserving it’ floating around the room that morning.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Finally, September first arrived, and the students in Harry's class were heading in for their final year at Hogwarts. None of them knew if they would make it to graduation, since the war was still going on. Everyone's futures felt clouded with a thick smoke, that didn't even let the students ponder very hard on what they would do after school.  
  
The train ride was rather uneventful. Harry told his friends in no uncertain terms, that he would not fight with anyone but Voldemort and his Death Eaters from now on. Harry had to admit, Caesius was right. Draco Malfoy had changed somewhat, since their fifth year. It was gradual from what Harry could tell. Draco was still the self-proclaimed ‘Prince of Slytherin’, but the house took on a new gleam over the last year. The sly, cunning Slytherins were now slowly becoming neutral in the war against Voldemort. They had finally stopped preaching the pureblood mantra, and actually seemed to be getting along with the other houses a little better, even the Gryffindors, to everyone’s shock.  
  
In Harry's compartment that year were Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Daphne Greengrass, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Neville, and Luna Lovegood. It was a little crowded, but the group didn't really care. Some sat on others’ laps, while others sat on the floor, and it was quite enjoyable. All houses were represented in their compartment that September first.  
  
Since Ron and Daphne were dating, she was perched on his lap, and cuddling while she talked. Ginny was flirting with Justin and Neville, who had finally lost some of the baby fat that he had been carrying around for years. Luna had her nose stuck in her father's paper, _The Quibbler_ , as usual, and was spouting random facts from it.  
  
Harry recalled how Ron had surprised him, most of all, when he announced he was dating a Slytherin. After all the years of preaching about how evil the Slytherins were, it made Harry laugh. Ron had grown up quite a bit, and had begun flirting with some of the Slytherin girls last year, and near the end of it, he had finally started dating Daphne. The houses were slowly becoming whole. Though the Slytherins insisted for the most part, in remaining neutral, because they didn't want to have to face their parents, and possibly kill them during the encounter, the other houses respected their wishes. Who knew that the Slytherins would be so loyal to their families?  
  
After the sorting, Harry looked around to spot Draco Malfoy watching him. Instead of the usual sneer when he was caught staring at anyone, he actually smiled. Draco actually smiled a real smile—not a smirk, not a sneer, but an honest to Merlin, real, genuine smile—at Harry. Harry had to admit that he looked much nicer smiling than smirking or sneering.  
  
The week slowly dragged on, and he continued getting his letters from his mysterious friend, telling him how nice he looked the day before, or sending a little complimentary gift, that had all the girls swooning at Harry's admirer. Harry was beyond flattered. He had never been wooed before, and it was an interesting experience. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
  
The next morning at breakfast, he received a reply to his frustrated letter about Snape. Why the man decided to continue torturing him year after year was totally beyond him. Sure, Harry had looked in the man’s Pensive once, but that was no reason to continue to abuse him the way he had. In fact, Harry had apologized for that incident several times over, and even saved the man's life last year. Why he continued to be so bitter toward him, Harry wasn't sure.  
  
This time, Harry noticed a little box was with the letter, and it appeared to be about the size of a ring. Harry swallowed nervously, hoping that it wasn't. He didn't even know the guy’s real name, and a ring really wouldn't go over well with his friends. Shrugging, he placed the box in his robes, and proceeded to read his letter.  
  
  


> _Dear Sexy,  
>   
>  My, I am having troubles coming up with greetings, aren't I? It's so unlike me. I just don't like the mundane ‘Dear Harry’ anymore. It sounds so impersonal. You looked very nice in Hogsmeade yesterday. I think that you look very nice in green and blue I think, though the green brings out your eyes better. It's so nice to see you in clothes that actually fit you well. I know I should avoid the topic, but sometimes I can't help myself. I don't even think you see that half the stares that you get these days are lustful, and not the "Boy-Who-Lived" fame thing, that you're always whining about.  
>   
>  Have you ever thought of getting your eyes corrected? There are several spells that you could use to do so, you know. If you're afraid of not having the glasses, you could always fix your eyes, and then wear clear glass in place of your regular lenses. It might make for an interesting advantage when you meet You-Know-Who, if he thinks you're blind without them, and you're not. Just a suggestion for you, I’d hate it if you got hurt. If you want the spells, let me know.  
>   
>  I know you said in your last letter that Professor Snape gave you detention again, for something that you didn't do. He does target you a lot, doesn't he? I know you said it's more to do with your parents, and not yourself, but perhaps you're wrong. I mean, honestly, think about it. I personally think he targets you, so that you will be properly grounded. Isn’t he the one person that reminds you that you're human, and not just the ‘Saviour of the World,’ and that it's not your job to save everyone? I think that he keeps reminding you of this, so that perhaps you’ll realize that one day your "job" might get you killed if you get too reckless. I shudder to think of that day when you have to face You-Know-Who. I, for one, don't want you to die, Harry. Perhaps you should ease off of Professor Snape a bit, and maybe pay better attention in class? He is a great teacher you know, regardless of his prejudices.  
>   
>  With that said, I hope you enjoy the little gift I’ve enclosed. Feel free to have Ms. Granger check it out for you. I assure you though; it is safe and will keep you safe.  
>   
>  Yours,  
>   
>  Caesius_

  
Harry pulled the box out of his robes, opened it, and saw it held a little platinum lion-head necklace, with green gems for eyes. Harry had never really been one who thought much for jewellery, but it was nice, small, and easily hidden beneath his clothes. Of course, being that it was a present at breakfast, as usual Harry had to put up with the “Oooohs” and “Ahhhhhs” of the girls. It was really starting to bother him that they wouldn’t mind their own business.  
  
Harry looked quietly over to Hermione, as she looked at what was in his hands. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "That's pretty, Harry. Did you get that from your friend?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Could you, maybe, check it out for me? I don't know him extremely well, and I want to make sure it's not a Portkey or something."  
  
Hermione smiled, as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "We can check it out after Charms if you like, since we both have a free period then."  
  
Harry smiled back at her, feeling her hand squeeze his shoulder gently. "Thanks, Hermione. I have a feeling that it will be okay, but as everyone keeps telling me, I need to be careful."  
  
Hermione agreed silently, while turning to look at Ron, who sat at the Slytherin table with his girlfriend. "I guess it's a good thing that it's Ron's turn to sit at Daphne's table, or he would have been going nuts over this."  
  
Harry grinned. "Perhaps he knows? I have a feeling that my friend's in Slytherin. He could have talked to Daphne, and she mentioned it."  
  
Hermione blinked. "You don't know who this guy is? Harry! You are going to tell me _everything_ , right after class, and no getting out of it! And I want to see those letters you and he wrote."  
  
Harry listened to her demands in silence. He knew that this would happen as soon as he asked her to check out the necklace. He was okay telling Hermione; Ron, on the other hand, was a different matter.  
  
Harry looked slightly worried for a moment. "Hermione, how are we going to get rid of Ron? I’m not ready for him to know yet."  
  
Hermione smiled. "He doesn't have a free period today, remember? He has an essay he didn't finish last night for History of Magic. We can go to the Room of Requirement, and talk after we get your letters from the dorm. Too bad you don't have a copy of the ones you sent."  
  
Harry nodded. He could have used a duplication charm on them after his birthday, when he had turned 17, but he hadn’t remembered the charm until he had got back to school. "I have the ones since I came back to school. I forgot about the duplication charm until we reviewed it in class."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Well, that's good then. Let's get to class." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
After Charms, Harry and Hermione went to the Room of Requirement, and Hermione cast all the spells she could think of on the necklace. She hummed softly to herself and smiled. "The only thing I see on this is at least five different protection charms, Harry. Didn't you say he sent you a letter that said he would be upset if anything were to happen to you?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah, in his latest letter in fact. I guess that is why he gave it to me, huh?"  
  
Hermione nodded in agreement "Well, I assume its okay to put it on. I just hope I am right. Let me see those letters first, though."  
  
Hermione poured over each letter, checking it for charms or spells. The only one she found was one to disguise handwriting, which was slightly suspicious, but considering the author didn't want Harry to know who he was yet, she supposed it was possible that the person was genuine. “Well, other than a slightly suspicious spell to alter handwriting, they seem okay. He sure loves to flatter you, doesn't he? I think he really likes you, Harry. I think you are right about him being a Slytherin, he seems to know a lot about all three of us; he seems so familiar, though I can’t think of who he reminds me of just now. Though I don't know many Slytherins that would want to apologize to a Gryffindor, unless..." Hermione shook her head. "No, that's impossible. Well, it looks like he's genuine, though I would still be careful. From now on, show me everything he sends you, so I can check it, all right?"  
  
Harry nodded, loosened his tie, and carefully lifted the necklace out of the box, putting it on; he made sure to slip it under his robes so it wouldn't restrict his uniform. Pushing the knot of the tie back up in its proper place, he felt a warm glow on his chest as the necklace settled against his skin. It was a nice feeling, and he suddenly felt very safe.  
  
"Well, I am still here, and I can feel the protection spells. Did you figure out which ones they were?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
Hermione nodded. "Well, there is a spell to repel jinxes, another to repel hexes. Also, one seems to be some sort of spell bouncing charm, a shield charm, and a few others I would have to look up. I have an idea, but the magic needed for that would be in the Restricted Section."  
  
Harry inclined his head slightly in understanding. "Well, I certainly feel the protection. I feel safe for a change. Well, considering my history with Voldemort, perhaps he put some sort of blocking spell on it?"  
  
Hermione agreed. "I think that was one of them, though I would still suggest practicing Occlumency, just in case. It's a good thing that Professor Dumbledore helped you with it last year."  
  
Harry shrugged. "I think he only did it because he felt guilty, but at least I learned from someone who didn't hate me." Harry looked around for a clock, and one suddenly appeared. "We’d better go. We have class in ten minutes."  
  
Hermione nodded absently, her mind working furiously as they walked to their next class. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Classes went by quickly that day for Harry, which surprised him. That night, when he got back to his dorm, he sent Caesius a letter, thanking him for the necklace. All day, the constant warmth on his chest made him feel great. In fact, when a potion that someone had been brewing, exploded next to him, none of the hazardous contents even touched him. He just glowed for a moment, and then the glow simply faded when no more dangerous material was flying his way. Luckily, it seemed that no one noticed the momentary shield charm, or at least no one mentioned it.  
  
In true Snape fashion, the man went on and on about how an N.E.W.T. level class should be able to brew the potion they had been working on, without difficulty, and took 20 points from Gryffindor. Dean looked like he was about to murder the Professor at that moment. Fortunately for Gryffindor, he didn't, and simply ignored him instead. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Caesius had been extremely happy all week long. Classes were going well, and things between him and Harry were going wonderfully too. He finally had concrete proof now that Harry trusted him. He had seen the necklace work that day in Potions class, though he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. It was nice to know that his hard work in putting the amulet together had worked out so well. Though he decided that he might want to remind Harry to take it off in duelling class, or someone might become suspicious.  
  
Pulling out that day’s letter, Caesius began to read. 

>   
> _Dear Caesius,  
>   
>  I wanted to thank you for the necklace you sent me. It really saved me from getting a nasty potion burn today, due to Dean's cauldron exploding. It wasn't really his fault, but of course, Snape just HAD to take 20 points away from Gryffindor because of it. He just wouldn't be Snape if he hadn't, I suppose.  
>   
>  You know, I think you were right about Snape though. He pulled me back after class yesterday, and asked why I was suddenly paying so much attention. I told him that a friend of mine suggested that it would probably help my grade, and perhaps I wouldn’t get in so much trouble. At least, I was partially honest with him. I know he can tell lies when he hears them, there are several students that think he can read minds.  
>   
>  Oddly enough, he complimented me on my recent potion efforts, and told me that if I kept it up, I might actually pass his class. To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I actually heard Snape say something NICE to me! I guess he has finally started to understand that he either owes me for saving his life at the end of last term, or that I am not my father. Of course, I doubt he is too happy with the feeling that he owes another Potter a debt. My father saved his life once long ago, and he never got a chance to pay that back from what I understand.  
>   
>  Anyway, I guess we should get off my stunned realizations, and on to other more pressing topics. First, could you send me those spells you mentioned to fix my eyes, and secondly, when are we going to meet Caesius? You promised once we got back to school that we could.  
>   
>  Harry_

  
Caesius sighed and looked across the room to where Harry was sitting. _‘Soon, Harry. Soon, '_ he thought with a smile. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry made his way down to the Great Hall the next morning, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he walked. Passing by the notice board, a colourful flyer on the board announcing something caught his attention, and he made a mental note to check it out later, before moving to his normal spot at the table.  
  
Sitting down across from Ron and Hermione, he piled some food on his plate and began eating. Looking up, his eyes wandered around the room, letting his gaze wander to the far table for a brief moment. The room was alive with all sorts of loud conversations, and one that mentioned music, caught his attention.  
  
"Did you hear? Draco Malfoy is starting a band!" Lavender whispered to Parvati. The pair then began to talk excitedly between themselves.  
  
 _'He's starting a band? Mmmm, I could actually use my talent for something good, and I could be in a band with him. Draco has gotten so hot since fifth year.’ Harry_ hummed to himself. _'Looks like my gifts with Charms and Transfiguration will be put to some use.'_  
  
Harry sat quietly, and pondered how he could change his appearance to fit the band. He doubted that Draco would allow him in the band in his current state, even if they were hardly ever fighting anymore. Finally, he decided that he could change his hair to a rocking colour or two, dress in some different clothes, and change his appearance slightly.  
  
"Yeah, he's holding auditions. Problem is… I think you have to be in Slytherin. It didn't say though, so you never know. And they _'have'_ been tolerating us since last year, even though we’re in Gryffindor. Although, it's funny, Malfoy has been quite different since last year. I guess since his father died before school started, he can finally do what he wants. He _is_ the sole heir of the Malfoy fortune now," whispered Parvati, who was met with an eager nod from Lavender.  
  
Harry blinked after this statement, _'Wait, did she say that Draco's father died? Oh, that's right. I guess I must have forgotten about it. I wonder if he is okay. He has been a bit quiet lately.'_  
  
After eating breakfast, Harry got up, walked out the doors, and turned left to get to the notice board, near the entrance. Looking around, he saw that no one was in the hall, and quickly took one of the spare flyers with the information on it. Turning on his heel, he quickly rushed back up to the Gryffindor common room, to start planning his new look. He would need it by the weekend. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
That afternoon, after he’d eaten a quick lunch, Harry went to Madam Pomfrey with the spells that Caesius had sent him. He found that she was quite willing to help correct his eyes for him, so that he wouldn’t have to explain his reasons to Hermione, and was even happy to change his lenses to clear, non-prescription ones when he explained why he’d decided to have his vision corrected. She smiled at him a little too brightly when she told him what a clever idea it was, and how she thought it would give him an advantage later as well. At least one good thing about getting his eyes corrected was that it would make it harder to recognize him without his glasses, when he tried out for the band.  
  
After lunch, he was still trying to find a way to change his appearance enough, that no one would recognize him as Harry Potter. He already had a way to cover his scar, thanks to the salon that he had visited in the previous year. Muggle cosmetics were a good way to disguise it. He had actually walked around Diagon Alley unrecognized after his makeover. It was a shame that he couldn't wear his nicer clothes anywhere, but school. However, if he had started wearing them at the Dursleys, they would have tried to find his trust fund. Harry finished eating quickly, and headed back to the common room, wanting to get his homework done as soon as possible, so he could go down to the library to do some research.  
  
Just as Ron had joined him on the couch, Hermione stormed through the door, clutching a magazine in her hand. To say that Hermione was angry would be the biggest understatement of the century. She looked like she wanted to kill, and kill with an utter and utmost prejudice.  
  
"Can you believe what that cow, Pansy Parkinson did?" Hermione screamed, waving a magazine in the air.  
  
"Hey! How come you get to call her a cow, when I couldn't call her one last year?" Ron yelled.  
  
"Because last year, she didn't look like one!” Hermione snapped, causing the whole common room to laugh.  
  
"What did she do, 'Mione?” Ron asked. He had learned by now, to pick his battles, and he knew that when Hermione was in this state, it was best not to make her any madder.  
  
"Pansy threw a copy of _Witch_ _Weekly_ at me, which had this huge section on beauty spells, and concealment charms to make yourself look different. She told me to take some tips out of it, to _improve_ my appearance."  
  
Hermione huffed, and threw the magazine across the room, which fell open near Harry. Intrigued, Harry discreetly picked up the magazine, and tucked it carefully in his book bag. _'Maybe I won't have to go to the Library after all,'_ he thought. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
Later that afternoon, Harry slipped off to the music room, threw himself down on the couch, and started looking through the magazine. He had to find something perfect, something that made him look good, without over shadowing Draco too much. He didn't want to get in the band because he was better looking than the slightly vain boy, who was organizing it. As he thumbed through the pages, he found some new hair spells for wizards and grinned. Perfect! A moment later, his hair was a dirty blonde with black tips, and he now had deep blue-green eyes.  
  
Walking over to the mirror, located in the corner of the room, he smiled. _'Yeah, this will do nicely. It's nice, but not too showy, and perfect for a band.’_ He charmed his hair, and it grew out a bit longer than his normal style, and shook his head. Perfect. After making several more adjustments, he grinned and quickly changed back to his normal look. He practiced his guitar for a while, and then disappeared into the secret passage, sneaking back up to the Tower. Once inside, he realized it must be dinnertime, because the common room, and most of the dorm, was empty. Heading upstairs, he walked over to his closet. Sifting through his wardrobe, he pulled out a pair of silver dragonhide trousers, along with a deep blue silk shirt, from the back and pulled them to one side, to prepare for his audition. Harry had secretly gotten himself some sexier clothes at the end of last year, before he went home. He hadn't really gotten a chance to wear them anywhere, and they would help with his new look. Turning to look in the mirror again, he grinned. _'Now, all I need is a good name. Hmmm, how about Blade? Nahh, no one would name their kid that. Hmmm. Let me think... well, could say it's a nickname... nahh... I’m not dangerous enough to pull off a nickname like that. Hmmm, what about - Anton Stryder? Sounds good enough to me...'_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  
As Harry and Ron walking down toward the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning, they found a small, black and white cow milling around by the entrance, mooing loudly. Vaguely remembering yesterday's conversation, Harry started looking around for Hermione. He knew that she had to be behind this, especially since she had called Pansy a cow the night before. He wasn’t even sure if anyone else even knew what a cow looked like, except perhaps some Muggle-born students. Looking around the room, Harry spotted Hermione, waving from down the hall. He noticed a group of Slytherins crowded around Professor Snape, complaining. It seemed that the cow was, indeed, Pansy Parkinson.  
  
Hermione walked around the cow, which tried to bite her, only causing her to laugh. Leaning toward Harry and Ron, she whispered, "See, I told you she was a cow." She walked past Pansy the Cow, and headed into the Great Hall.  
  
"Remind me never to get on her bad side," Ron muttered.  
  
"Same here, mate. Same here," agreed Harry. 


	2. Spectrum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs that are in this story will be "TECHNICALLY" by the band. They are of course, in reality copyrighted by their respective owners. I will number the songs at the bottom of each chapter and give proper copyrights. I have written a few songs that will appear in the story too, so, I will actually own them, like I do the plot of this story.

The rest of the week passed rather quickly for Harry as he practiced his guitar, and his new attitude. After all, he couldn't have a new identity if he didn't actually act or talk different. That weekend, the newly dressed, sexy, Anton Stryder pulled his bass from its stand in his music room, and made his way down the stairs to the classroom indicated on the flyer. Since no one knew him, he was able to pull off an incredible act. Harry had never shown anyone his quiet, confident side; he felt like he had to act the part of a Gryffindor to fit in with his housemates, which over the years had become more of an act than Draco’s. Harry had been secretly observing Draco for years, and knew pretty much what kind of person he would associate himself with.

With his change of appearance, Harry decided that he needed a new attitude, and started making changes by allowing his Slytherin traits to show; this being his more confident side that he would have normally not shown around the Gryffindors, and smirked, making sure he was completely out of character. It was nice to be able to be himself with people sometimes, and he felt as though a weight was lifted from him.

He walked in, stood against the back wall, putting his foot up against it, while surveying the crowd, his large dragonhide boots making a bump against the wall. Harry had realized over the last year and a half that the main reason he wanted to be alone more often was that he liked to watch people. It all started last year after a training session with Mad Eye Moody.

Moody had been trying to teach Harry some things that he could use in the final battle, like stealth, observation, and other such things. After he had started practicing these skills, Harry realized that watching people was in fact, one of his favourite pastimes.

There were about fourteen people in the room beside himself, all from different houses, and the majority of them stunk. Harry noticed that Draco and Blaise Zabini were sitting behind a table, and Draco looked like he was about to have kittens as he sent another one away. Draco, being the type of person he was, didn't always wait until the person had left the room before commenting quietly about how much the person sucked. This left an interesting smile on Harry's face. _'Wait ‘til you hear me, Draco.'_

Finally, the room cleared out, and Draco and Blaise stood up.

"I can't believe we didn't find anyone good, other than a passable drummer in Nott. Guess no one taught them how to play an instrument, and some of those people need singing lessons. We might have to wait ‘til we get out of school," Draco fumed.

Draco's comments caused Harry to laugh, making them turn around to see the tall, light-haired boy leaning against the far wall, a guitar propped up against it beside him. Draco gulped. _'He is gorgeous! Ohhhhh please let him be good!’_

Draco smirked, putting up his usual Malfoy mask to cover his feelings. Find something funny, do you?"

Harry nodded. “That I do; and in fact, I agree with your comments. Not one of them was any good."

Blaise looked over the leather-clad boy with appreciating eyes. "You think you can do any better?"

Harry shrugged. "I can. I guess it all depends on if you have any taste in music."

Draco hummed softly. _'The guy has the confidence of a Slytherin, though I know that if I saw this guy in my dungeons all the time, I would have noticed him by now.’_ Draco grinned. _'Though, what house could he be in? He could be a Gryffindor, but are they this cool? Perhaps he was placed in the wrong house; it’s been known to happen. Look at Granger; she should be in Ravenclaw.’_

"What house are you in?” Draco asked, a grin forming on his face.

Harry shrugged. "I don't really think that it matters. However, I was told when I was sorted that I should have been in Slytherin. Guess it saw something in me that I didn't know about.” Harry shrugged again and formed a smirk on his face. "Let me guess, you don't want me in your band because I won't tell you what house I'm in. Well, guess I should be going then, if my services aren't needed."

Draco and Blaise looked at each other blinking. "No!" they both shouted in unison. "You should know that most of the normal prejudices haven't really been strong in the last year or so. Why would your house matter to me? Let's at least hear you on the guitar. Can you can sing, too?" asked Draco.

Harry nodded. "Sure. I would say, ‘doesn't everyone’, but I don't think anyone in the room earlier could."

Draco and Blaise laughed. This guy was funny when he wanted to be. Humour was always a good thing. Harry grinned, pushing himself off the wall. He grabbed his guitar and walked onto the stage. He pointed to the nearby piano with his wand, causing them to blink. _‘Where had he hidden it in his outfit?’_ Draco thought.

After Harry muttered something, he picked up his guitar, the piano began playing, and a few moments later, he joined in. He had picked a Weird Sisters song, one with a really good bass line, and of course, he sang along as well. Harry’s rich baritone voice echoed throughout the hall, startling Draco and Blaise with the intensity that he had while singing. Watching him perform did something to the both of them; stirring Draco’s aching soul.

Grinning, Draco went up, picked up his lead guitar, and started playing with him. A few moments later, the spell wore off the piano, and Blaise took up where it left off. Each of the three voices blended almost perfectly, Draco, with his smooth tenor voice, Blaise, with his deep, sexy bass voice, and Harry’s baritone, filled the room in perfect harmony.

This remarkable sight startled the straggler, who was late for the auditions as he walked in the room. Noticing that there was still a spot open for a drummer, he pulled his sticks out of his pocket, popped up on the stage, and started playing along blending in his own baritone voice. To the outside observer, it wouldn’t have looked like the group had never played together before. After the song finished, Draco turned around to find himself face to face with Wayne Hopkins, a Hufflepuff of all creatures. _'Well,’ Draco thought. 'It could be worse...'_

"Hello, Hopkins. Glad to see someone in this school can play the drums. I was beginning to think we wouldn't find anyone. Only person that was passable, was Nott, and even he wasn't that great,” Draco drawled.

Wayne grinned. "Thanks, Malfoy. Does that mean that I’m in?"

Draco nodded before looking over at the stranger. “Well, might want to tell me your name before I let you know anything. I don't think I’ve seen you around before.”

Harry grinned. “Well, guess that all depends on which one you want. The name I go by and my given name are different. You can call me Anton. Anton Stryder.”

_'A stage name?’_ Draco wondered, and blinked. _‘Why won't he just tell us his real name? Oh well, I don't really care. He's good! However, let’s play with him a bit.’_

Draco walked toward Harry, and looked him in the eye. “Well Anton, I don’t think I can let you in the band if I don’t know who you are.”

“Why, so you can kick me out afterward? No, it's either this or not at all,” Harry said in a tone that left no room for discussion, and shook his head.

Draco looked startled. “What do you mean ‘kick you out afterward’? Why would I kick you out?”

“Look, you and I have had enough disagreements in the past that I know for a fact that if I had auditioned as myself, you would have laughed me right out of the room. I wanted you to give me a fair shot, so it has to be like this,” Harry said.

Draco mulled over this in his head. While he hated not knowing who this guy was, something that irked him to no end, he was in an awkward position. He really had no choice. It was this or nothing, at least for now any way. However, whatever Draco wanted, he got, and he would get the truth out of this guy soon enough. “Well, as much as I think we deserve to know who you really are, you can keep your secret...for now. Well, uh, welcome to the group,” Draco said as he held out a hand for Anton to shake.

Harry grinned, slipping his hand into the cool grasp of Draco Malfoy's, slyly avoiding the hanging question in the air about his identity. “Thanks, Draco. I’m glad you liked my audition. By the way, I have a room we can practice in; it used to be the old music room. I found it in my fifth year, and have been using it ever since.”

Draco smirked. “Well, that is good news. Hear that Blaise? Already have a place to practice, and a full band. This year is going to be great.”

Blaise nodded. “Yep, I think so. Welcome aboard Anton, Wayne...”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The trip back to the common room was uneventful, but Harry couldn't be happier. He was in Draco's band! Harry took his secret passage back to his music room, and quickly changed back to his normal appearance; not that he had changed too much to begin with, but it was enough that Draco didn't recognize him. _'Thank Merlin...’_

He had learned long ago that changing one's hair, voice, face, and eye colour were the easiest changes to make people think you were someone else, and of course, getting rid of that blasted scar.

The next morning at breakfast, Harry hummed happily as he ate, several of the girls around the table, along with several of the boys, noticed his mood, and even a few whispered that perhaps he had gotten a girlfriend or something. Normally, Harry didn't go around humming, and it was an odd occurrence. When the morning post came, a letter dropped into his hands. Harry looked around slyly, _'Draco is trying to be sneaky to find out who I really am I bet.’_ Luckily, everyone in the area he sat in got something, so even if Malfoy had noticed his silver ribbon encased letter before he slipped it in his bag, he wouldn't know who had grabbed the letter.

The few people that had noticed that he had gotten a letter looked at him oddly. "Aren't you going to read your letter, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Nahh, it's not really important. I’ll read it later,” Harry said with a shrug. The subject was promptly dropped; everyone pretty much knew that he wouldn't continue the conversation. Harry never really talked much anymore when it came to the abundance of letters that he received.

After breakfast, Harry headed down toward the Potions classroom, and slipped off into a side passage, to a room where he could read the letter. Harry was pretty good at hiding things, so unless someone was invisible and following him, he knew no one would see him with the letter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

>   
> _Anton,_
> 
> _We will meet you at the entrance to the Great Hall at 7:00 p.m., so you can take us to this room to practice. I hope that this letter gets to you. I wish you would tell at least me who you are, but for now, I will try not to make an effort to find out._
> 
> _Don't make me wait very long. I do get rather impatient when I don't know something I should, and I will find out eventually._
> 
> _Draco_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sighed. _'Thank Merlin he is letting it go. I doubt I could tell him who I am right now. I just want some time to get to know him better. If he will let anyone in, that is.’_ Sneaking out of the secret passage, he continued to Potions. Walking inside, he took his seat near the middle of the room. The Slytherins always got all the back seats, so he sat in the row right before them.

The class really didn't bother him that much. Potions was now a N.E.W.T. level class, which combined all four houses, since there weren’t many students that had passed their O.W.L’s, being allowed in Professor Snape's advanced classes. Since last year, the Slytherins really didn't bother him too much, except an occasional stare or the general look of loathing, depending on who it was. Most of the time during class, he would often catch several of the students watching him. He wasn't sure if they watched him because of who he was, because he was powerful, or because they thought he was cute.

He assumed it was mainly to do with whole ‘hero of the wizarding world’ thing, though he didn't really know. It's not like he could just come out and ask them why they were staring. He would probably cause Professor Snape to take a bunch of points from Gryffindor. Most of the girls in his house had come to realize that Harry didn't date anyone due to personal preference. Lavender had actually asked him out once, and he politely turned her down. She wore more makeup than anyone he knew, and he didn't like that very much. _'What is it with Lavender and Parvati with makeup anyway?’_ Harry thought.

Turning back to his potion, he glanced over to his most recent staring partner. He was a Slytherin, and was actually quite cute. However, Harry was pretty sure that the reason he was being stared at was because Draco had asked all the Slytherins to keep a look out for a seventh year that matched a certain description. Luckily, his appearance was back to normal with his black hair and deep green eyes.

When Potions class ended, Harry quietly packed his bag and stood, quickly moving toward the door when he almost ran into Ron, and mumbled an apology. He told Ron that he was going back to the dorm to study, and hurried off to get his clothes and go to practice. Harry quickly headed through the common room, walked up the stairs, changed into some different clothes, and hurried out the door. Fortunately, no one noticed that Harry had put on new clothes under his house robes: a nice pair of tight jeans and navy blue shirt.

Harry stepped into the passageway, changed his appearance, and walked to his music room to set up his equipment before walking down to the entrance hall to get the rest of the band. Luckily, he wasn't late, though he doubted that he could tell Draco he was late because he had to change his appearance.

"Ahhh, Anton, glad you got my note, let’s get to this music room of yours,” Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Sure, follow me."

Harry silently led the group to his sanctuary, and removed the wards on the doors to allow them to enter. "Here we go. I'll just go get my bass out of storage.” Harry walked over to a large wardrobe on the far wall, muttered some words the others weren’t able to catch, and the door opened.

Draco hadn't really had much time to observe the guy, but he had decided that he liked him. He was sure that the guy was different, yet familiar, though he couldn't quite place his finger on why. He had asked several of the seventh year Slytherins to be on the look out for a guy with his description this afternoon in their classes, and the report had come back empty. This probably meant that this guy was probably very smart, and very good at Transfiguration. Luckily, Anton seemed to not be a know-it-all like Granger.

Practice went pretty well, and in fact, it was rather nice. Anton had several really cool songs that he had written that would be great to try, and fit Draco so well that he felt like he had almost written them himself. Though, he definitely knew that it was not the case. The more he got to read some of Anton's stuff, the more he wondered who this guy was. Either the guy knew a lot about his life, or it was just an eerie coincidence. _'Could someone else have a life like mine?’_ Draco wondered.

After practice, they began trying to come up with a band name, and finally, after much thought and careful consideration, they decided to call themselves… "Spectrum. It's perfect,” Draco said, grinning happily.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A month had passed since the first band practice, and the band was getting really good in Harry's opinion. Professor Dumbledore of course, knew that Harry was in Draco's band, and was glad that even though he was disguising himself to do so, Harry was making friends in other houses. The Professor was overjoyed that the band covered three of the schoolhouses, which would go over well when they had their first concert, which he had scheduled over Halloween.

The band was extremely excited about their first concert, and practiced in almost all of their spare time. When Professor Dumbledore had been told the name of the band that Harry was in, he had laughed and said it was an interesting name, though he would have recommended Bane. He commented that it would fit at least two of the members, mainly Draco and Harry, because of Voldemort's obsession with both of them. Draco had become a target because he had refused to serve him, and Harry for the whole prophesy thing. Dumbledore had asked Harry on several occasions when he was going to tell Draco who he really was, and Harry told him not for a while. He was having the time of his life being someone else, and was truly happy for the first time since he could remember.

Dumbledore had smiled knowingly and nodded at Harry. "Harry, the longer you keep the truth from Mr. Malfoy, the more upset he will be with you. Don't you think he is over these childhood rivalries by now? He hasn't really been mean to you since last year. He hasn't picked a fight with Mr. Weasley or Ms. Granger since some time last term, and he hasn't started anything since this term started either. Perhaps all that animosity between you before was an act so that he wouldn't get in trouble with his father?"

"I know, Professor, and I know I should tell him, but I haven't really been his best friend. Just because he hasn't picked fights with me doesn’t mean that he actually likes me now. He just grew up a bit, and decided that fights were undignified."

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Well, Harry my boy, it is of course, up to you whether you tell Mr. Malfoy about who you are, but he is a very smart young man, and he will find out sooner or later."

"I know, Professor, but hopefully it won't be ‘til after we graduate. I just can't tell him now. I like him Professor, and I just can't have him going back to hating me so soon. In fact, I am surprised that he hasn't figured it out already,” Harry murmured.

"All right, Harry. I hope that you know what you are doing. The longer you wait, the longer he is going to be upset with you in the end. Though, I will say one more thing,” Dumbledore said. "'What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.'"

"I know, Professor. I know," Harry whispered as he stood and walked to the door. On the way down to the practice room, he ducked into a bathroom, cast his glamour charms to change his appearance, and went down to the lake to think.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sighed; his conscious was getting to him. He really wanted to tell Draco who he was, but a month wasn't long enough. Harry, in fact, had originally planned never to tell anyone who he was, in the band or otherwise. If they knew, either they would kick him out, or they would expect more out of him. They would probably expect Harry to make them famous, so they could make lots of money. Harry had enough of those kinds of problems already, and certainty didn't need anymore. Luckily, he had already changed his appearance for band practice, before deciding to go down by the lake for some reflection. As he reached the water's edge, a song came to mind, and he started to sing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Deception!  
How long must I continue this deception?  
This masquerade?  
Deception!  
My life seems like it's nothing but deception!  
A big charade!

I never meant to lie to you; I swear it.  
I never meant to play those games.  
At times, I want to cry to you 'cause I can't bear it!  
But I fear my life will land in flames

Deception!  
I pray that you'll forgive all this deception!  
This masquerade!  
Deception!  
It's time to put an end to this deception!  
But I'm afraid!

When the whole thing is at an end,  
And you learn that it's just pretend,  
You'll cry

Deception!  
I pray that you'll forgive all this deception!  
This masquerade!  
Deception!  
It's time to put an end to this deception!  
But I'm afraid!

When the whole thing is at an end,  
And you learn that it's just pretend.  
You'll cry

Deception!  
Deception!  
Deception!  
Deception!  
Deception!  
Deception!  
Deception!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sighed, turned back toward the school, and headed toward band practice, not noticing a very confused Draco Malfoy was following behind him. Draco followed Anton, and cornered him as soon as he entered the practice room.

"Look, Anton. Just come clean on your name. I mean; I’m lucky that an owl gets to you most of the time. I’m not going to jump down your throat, you have nothing to worry about,” Draco said.

Harry shrugged. "I just want to keep it secret. What does it matter?"

Draco blinked. He knew that the guy didn't look like this. He only saw him when they had practice, and that was it. Draco had every person in Slytherin trying to find out who he was, and they’d all come back empty handed. Even if he was cute, Draco decided that the rest of the group should be told who he was.

"I know you're using a Glamour Charm, Anton. I have never seen you around school..." Draco said accusingly.

Harry sighed and shook his head before he shrugged, watching the group stare at him. "Well, actually, I have a good reason for doing so,” he said with a slight sigh.

"I am pretty sure that you look nice either way,” Draco whispered. Draco looked over Anton and a thought occurred. _'I told him he would look nice either way... Did he catch it? Oh, this is so wrong. What about...? No, I mustn’t think about him right now. I'll worry about him later.’_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Before practice that night, the group talked about the upcoming concert that they were to give on Halloween. Draco couldn't help noticing that when Halloween was mentioned, Anton would get this sad look on his face, as if he was going to be meeting his impending doom on that very night.

After practice ended, Draco quietly asked Anton to stay behind. "Anton, I know you will probably laugh, and well, I hate to pry, but every time Halloween was mentioned, you looked so sad. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I hope you know that I am here for you."

Harry blinked. _'Draco Malfoy is offering me a shoulder to cry on? Someone to talk to if I needed to get something off my chest?’_ Tumbling out of his thoughts, Harry replied,“Thanks Draco, it means a lot that you would trouble yourself over me, but it's not really necessary. I'll be okay. I always manage to get out of every bad situation somehow."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The band had its first concert coming up soon, and this new guy, Anton, was confusing Draco a lot. He seemed so familiar, that Draco would often mistake things he had said with something someone else had said, though he couldn't seem to remember where he'd heard them. While it was perplexing, he found he rather liked this guy; he was good looking, and nice, yet he carried with him a confidence that Draco had only seen among the pure-bloods in Slytherin.

The boy played a real mean bass, too, which was nice. He also wrote his own music, and one song sounded like it had been written just for him. He was unsure why, but he knew that for some reason, Anton obviously felt that he was deceiving him, and in a way, he was, but Draco honestly didn’t believe that Anton wanting to keep his identity secret was such a big deal that it compelled him to write it. Draco wasn't even supposed to see the song, but Anton had left it out from when he was writing it earlier.

Draco grabbed his guitar, played a few of the chords for the song, and began to sing it. It was really good in his opinion. Perhaps he could talk Anton into letting them sing it for the concert. Of course, it was a bit late to be adding new songs, but Draco didn't care. The song was perfect for the band!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Harry came in later and saw Draco reading his large folder of songs, he walked over and snatched it out of his hands. It was the first time that Draco had ever seen Anton mad, and to be honest, it was a bit scary.

"You know, I thought that I could trust you, Draco. Invading someone's privacy isn't right, you know,” he said with a soft, yet menacing voice.

"Anton, you had it lying open on the desk. How was I supposed to know you didn't want me to read it? You know I can't get through the wards in your cabinet, it's still locked you know. Go check it," Draco replied softly, sounding a bit hurt.

Harry nodded and walked over to the cabinet, checking the wards; they were just as he last left them. Sighing, he turned around and faced Draco. "Sorry Draco, I... It's just… I have many private songs in there, too, that I don't want anyone to see. Not everything I write is for the band, you know."

Draco nodded. "I gathered that Anton, though I must say that the one called Pawn is very interesting. It makes me wonder who you wrote it for. I would really like us to do it for our concert."

Harry stared at Draco silently and then sighed. "It's for me, Draco. It's about my life..."

Draco stared at Harry quietly and sighed. "I'm sorry Anton, really. I just saw it lying there, and I was curious. You never let us see all the songs you write; I didn't mean to invade your privacy. You're my band mate, and I hope… a friend. I didn't mean to upset you."

Harry blinked, his jaw dropping in surprise. "The great Draco Malfoy, the Ice Prince of Slytherin, is apologizing to someone? Someone owl the Prophet! No one will ever believe me."

Draco blinked at Harry, and shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. "Anton, you should know by now the inter-house lines are slowly coming down. The Slytherins get along with most of the houses now, even Gryffindor for the most part. Heck, Weasley is dating a Slytherin, and has been for a while now."

Harry nodded."I know, Draco. Guess I am not used to seeing this side of you."

Draco sighed. "I wish you would tell me who you are, Anton. There are only so many possibilities when it comes to seventh years, you know."

Harry sighed. "Draco, I am doing something that I love to do, not something I am forced to do, nor something that my heart tells me is right. Pawn is about my life, and it's what I am. A Pawn in the biggest game in life; one I have no choice but to be in, no matter what I choose to do with my life. Would you really want to rob me of the one joy I have in my life?"

Draco looked down at his feet. "No Anton, I... I just get this feeling I know you, and it irritates me, all right. I don't see what the big deal is. If you don't want Blaise or Wayne to know, you could tell me. Unlike most Slytherins, I can keep a secret, you know."

Harry sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Draco. I just can't tell anyone right now."

Draco nodded. "I understand, I guess.” Deciding the atmosphere was getting too awkward; Draco decided to change the subject. "So, can we do Pawn for the concert? I know it is a bit late to be adding new songs, but if it goes as well as I think it will, I think we will have a major hit on our hands," Draco said excitedly.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know, Draco. It is a bit personal, though. I know that the people I wrote it for would probably figure out pretty quickly who I was, or at least suspect."

Draco's face fell. "I understand, Anton. I wouldn't want you to get hurt. I just really like it. Though, wasn't the purpose of writing it to let them know that you're tired of being lied to?"

Harry nodded."Yeah, I've been fed lies since I can first remember. I wrote the song when I first started learning to play. Eventually, I wrote the music for it. It's a bit harder than you were playing it earlier."

Draco blinked. "You heard me singing it?"

Harry chuckled. "You're in _my_ practice room, Draco. I was alerted the moment you came in the room. I just couldn't get away from my friends right away. I haven't really told them much about all of this."

Draco frowned and glared at Harry. "I bet you did this as a test, didn't you? You wanted to see if I would break your wards, and try to find out what you are hiding from me. You wanted to see if I would read your songs while your back was turned. Well, guess you were at least partly right."

Harry blinked and looked at Draco with a shocked expression.

"What are you talking about, Draco? I didn't know I left my folder out. I thought I took it with me. In fact, I just realized it was missing, and was coming to get it to write another song that just came to me. When I saw it in your hands, I, well, just assumed you had taken it. I'm sorry, Draco; I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

Draco flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Anton. I guess we’re both jumping to conclusions today. Let's just forget all the accusations; I don't want to fight with you, Anton."

Harry smiled. "I don't want to fight with you, either, Draco."

Harry and Draco shared the smile for a moment before Harry frowned. "Draco, I thought I would let you know that there is a rumour floating around about you."

Draco looked slightly confused, not to mention a bit miffed. "What is it this time? I’ve heard it all since I came to school. The majority of them aren't true."

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, I heard you were, uh, gay."

Draco laughed. "Is that all? Well, that one is true actually. I bet it was Millie. She probably heard Blaise and I talking about who we thought the hottest guys were, beside ourselves, in school. We started a list last year, and have been adding or subtracting them ever since."

Harry looked a bit shocked at Draco's blunt admission that he was gay. Ron and Hermione had told him that wizards took homosexuality a lot better than Muggles did, but if the great Draco Malfoy was gay, then there was hope that he would find someone once Voldemort was dead after all. After a moment, Harry made a decision.

"Yeah, I guess I wanted to know since I'm gay, too. I don't know many guys that are gay at school. For a while, I thought I was the only one."

Draco grinned. "Well, looks like the entire band is gay or bisexual then. I saw Wayne snogging Zacharias Smith yesterday."

Harry laughed. "Great. Well, now the problem is that we probably won’t have as many fans. Will girls want to swoon after a gay band?"

Draco tilted his head. "Oh, I bet they would. We are all rather good-looking. Moreover, I’m sure Blaise is at least bisexual, and Wayne could possibly just be bisexual as well. I haven't had a chance to ask him yet. We can ask him tonight at band practice."

Harry chuckled. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Draco smiled and sat down on one of the plush couches. "So, about that song…"

Harry sighed. "All right, Draco. If the rest of the group wants to do it, we can. However, it's much harder than what we normally sing. It's kind of a hard, yelling song."

Draco grinned. "Well, why don't you play it for me really quick, and I can tell you if I still like it?"

Harry nodded. "Okay, I can do that."

Harry got up, walked over to the instruments, and muttered a spell. Picking up his bass guitar, he started to sing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pawn

I'm just a pawn of my destiny...  
Lies and half-truths are all they feed me...  
I'm just a pawn of my destiny...  
When will they tell me the truth?

I've been lied to so many times...  
They think that I'm merely a child...  
They don't understand that I don't want the fame...  
I don't even want the job.

Chorus:

However, being me...  
I just can't stand...  
To let the world down...  
So, I am just a pawn of my destiny...  
Even though I don't belong.

I've been a pawn for so many years...  
I've been waiting for the truth...  
I've been a pawn since the day I was born...  
And my life has never been fair...

Madman running after me...  
And no one can tell me why...  
Sure, they say it's my destiny...  
But why did he pick me...  
Chorus:

However, being me...  
I just can't stand...  
To let the world down...  
So, I am just a pawn of my destiny...  
Even though I don't belong.

I'm just a pawn my destiny...  
I am tired of being one...  
Now I am here... demanding the truth...  
Or I won't be responsible... for the hell you let loose.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco was grinning by the end of the song. _'Anton has the perfect voice for that song. It's just breathtaking. It's moody and filled with rage; the girls will swoon at the passion that they will be able to see in Anton's eyes. I bet even a few will try to find a way to convince him that he's not gay. Not that it will happen, of course,'_ Draco thought.

"You should stand in front of a mirror the next time you sing that song, and watch yourself, Anton. Such raw passion and rage, the audience will be swooning at your feet,” Draco said.

Harry laughed. "Well, it would be nice to have someone doing that. I doubt they’ll be my type, however. All right, if you want me to sing it for the concert, I will."

Draco winked. "Great! I can't wait to have you play that for Blaise and Wayne! You won't be sorry! You'll see."

Harry nodded. "I hope so Draco…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry walked back to his room a bit slower that night after practice. Draco had almost caught on to who he was with the discovery of that song. He couldn’t believe how Draco, being as smart as he was, didn't notice the fact that the mad man was Voldemort, and it boggled his mind. Harry was sure that Draco would have picked up who he was, if he had read any of the songs under Pawn. Luckily, he hadn't gotten that far, or appeared not to at least.

Shrugging as he trudged into the common room, Harry decided to write a letter to Caesius before going to bed. After he finished, he locked the letter in his trunk to keep it safe before he could get it to the owlery for the morning post. The next morning before breakfast, he pulled out his owl whistle, walked to the window, and blew it. After a few moments, Arrow winged his way toward him, and set off with the letter to his owner. Harry was glad Caesius had sent him the whistle over the summer, and explained that Arrow was trained to respond to it. He knew that if he sent the boy a letter with Hedwig, she would give him away immediately, since he was the only student in Hogwarts with a snowy owl.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Caesius was just about to head for breakfast when he was alerted to his owl whistle going off. Caesius had set the whistle up to let him know when a letter was coming, so that he could meet his owl in the common room. He had sent Harry one before school started, so that they could continue to write, and told him that he’d found that Arrow was the only owl trained to respond to it.

Centuries ago, when Slytherin built the dungeons under the lake, he had put in an owl tunnel that led from the outside wall above the lake, into the common room. When an owl or delivery bird started to fly down the tunnel, the portrait of Slytherin, which hung over the mantle, would open allowing the bird would fly to its recipient.

Only birds could find the tunnel that was cleverly hidden in the walls of the school, and the portrait would only open for them. This prevented other animals, which may have come across the opening, from sneaking down in the common room as well.

A moment after he reached the common room, Arrow flew out the portrait opening, and landed next to him. Taking the scroll, Caesius gave him an owl treat, and hurried back to his room to hide the letter, before going off to breakfast. As much as he wanted to read it now, he was starving.

Caesius went up to the Great Hall for breakfast, and quickly ate his food. He had almost brought the letter with him to breakfast, but since no one but Blaise knew that he was writing Harry; he didn't want to give anything away just yet. There were still those in his house who might become Death Eaters, and he didn't want to become even _more_ of a target.

Caesius quickly slipped out of the Great Hall, and hurried back to his room to read Harry's letter. Perhaps it was time to come out to Harry, so to speak. If only he had the guts to sit through the rejection, he was sure to receive.

Pulling the letter out of its hiding place, Caesius began to read.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

> _Dearest Caesius,_
> 
> _I would like to apologize to you. I don't think that I have been a very good friend during most of these letters. I have, of course, answered your questions about me, but there were times I really wanted to write something else when I answered them. I hope you can forgive me from holding back._
> 
> _It's has been hard on me to come to a point where I feel that I can trust you with how I really feel. I would like to thank you again for your gift. It's been a very long time since I have felt so safe. It has made me wonder when this whole situation will come crashing down around me. There are times when everything in my life goes horribly wrong, and I was afraid that this would be one of them. I was afraid that if I really started to show you how I felt, that you would run off to some magazine or newspaper and tell them all my secrets._
> 
> _After much thought, I decided that you really needed to know the real me. That I would not continue to pretend to be what the papers or the rest of the wizarding world believes me to be, but my real self. The one that no one bothers to look for, and the reason I have chosen to remain alone since I have reached the age where most others would begin to date._
> 
> _You have asked about my friends and I, so I warn you now, that this will be a long letter. First, let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought you really knew someone, and it turns out that you didn't know them at all? I have found that many of the people I have thought were my friends or even enemies over the years, are very different people now._
> 
> _My friend, Ron, is dating a Slytherin, and no one saw that coming at all. Personally, I thought he would end up with Hermione when we were younger. I just knew that it would happen, and I even encouraged it a time or two. It didn't occur to me that Hermione was head over heels in love with Ron's brother, Fred._
> 
> _Ron, I think, had a crush on Hermione since we saved her from the troll in our first year. I think Ron's main problem was, though he liked her, she always made him feel stupid. Hermione is so smart, and so driven, that poor Ron just couldn't keep up. Hermione found her definite match in Fred. Fred might be a joker, and love to play pranks, but when it comes to brains, he can match Hermione ounce for ounce._
> 
> _After Ron lost his chance with Hermione, I had no idea where he would turn. I think it surprised us all when he started dating Daphne. Ever since I was eleven, Ron preached, and I do mean preached, especially to me, since I didn’t know anything about the wizarding world, how evil the Slytherins were. It used to frustrate me so much, that sometimes, I wouldn't talk to him for days._
> 
> _Last year, Ron was walking in from Quidditch practice without me, and he overheard a conversation between Daphne and Millicent Bulstrode. Daphne's parents, though pure-bloods, were actually not on Voldemort's side. Daphne was afraid for her parent's lives, and decided to ask for Professor Dumbledore's help. Ron followed them all the way to Dumbledore's office, and then waited for them at the bottom of the stairs until they came down. I guess they started dating after that, and when Ron had gotten to know her, he realized that she was the girl he had been looking for all of his life._
> 
> _It's times like these where I wonder where my fairy tale ending is. Will I ever find a guy that will want me like that? I have never really known true love. In fact, the only people I know that love me are Hermione, and Ron's family. That of course is a different kind of love. I have never had parental love, unless you count my godfather, Sirius Black. Mrs. Weasley has been the closest thing to a mother I have had, since I lost mine when I was only a baby. However, even Mrs. Weasley can sometimes smother me with her overprotective ways._
> 
> _Yes, you did read correctly, my Godfather was Sirius Black. It is a shame that he did not live long enough to get his name cleared by the Ministry. Sirius was never given a trial, or a chance to defend himself, they didn't care that he was innocent. When the charges against him were dropped with the confirmed capture and subsequent death of Peter Pettigrew, it was a moot point by then. It just didn't matter anymore. The Ministry paid a good portion of money to his estate in restitution, but what good would that do a dead man? It just meant that I got more blood money in my trust fund._
> 
> _Up until last year, I was thinking of being an Auror. I even studied hard to pass my potions exam so that I could go into it. However, after seeing what the Ministry does to people, I honestly don't think that I could work for them. I don't know what to do with my life now. It's been suggested that I go on to play professional Quidditch, but I don't really think that is a good idea right now. Perhaps when Voldemort is gone, then I’ll be able to do it, but not until then. I don't think anyone realizes that if I do decide to become a professional right now, I will be in a large stadium with thousands of people. I would be a sitting duck, and so would the people in the stands. Easy pickings for that deranged lunatic._
> 
> _Anyway, I guess I have probably bored you enough for one day. If you have any more questions, please let me know._
> 
> _Harry_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Caesius stared at the letter for a few moments, digesting the information he had just read. He had asked him about his friends, and more about himself weeks ago, but he had never really answered it. Caesius couldn't believe it. Harry was still afraid this was all some elaborate plot. Caesius had never realized just how horrible a childhood he had.

Harry had no parents to love him, a mean cousin and family, and hand me down clothes. It was time, long past time to end this little charade. He needed to tell Harry who he was as soon as possible. He only hoped that when Harry found out, that he wouldn't be too upset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! How did you like it? We have a guilt riddled Harry Potter, a flirting Draco, and Harry is now in a band! Of course, he was going to get in the band, right. I mean, he IS Harry Potter after all, there’s not much that he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it, and it was the whole purpose of the beginning of this story. I hope that you liked my song, Pawn. It came to me one day when I was rereading parts of OOTP. I am still upset that Sirius is dead. *frowns*
> 
> What do you think will happen at the concert? Will Harry accidentally reveal himself to too many people if he sings Pawn? Does Draco suspect that he knows Anton more intimately than he does now? Will Caesius reveal his true intentions soon? Well, that I can't answer. That would spoil the plot!
> 
> Don't forget to feed the author and muse! Review today! Please? *smiles*
> 
> *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> 
> **Songs:**
> 
> 1) Deception, by Jem and Holograms - Note: A few of the words have changed because it is technically a love song, but it fit so well right then with Anton/Harry's frame of mind.   
> 2) Pawn, by Dream Howler. All rights reserved! It's mine! Don't take it!


	3. The Concert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Canon Notes:** This story will be now be labelled pre-HBP, taking place in my version of Harry Potter's seventh year, based on all the events of the first five books. As for book 6, most of the content of this story is different. I will be taking the information on Tom Riddle into account, the Horcruxes, some of the spells and small events out of HBP, but the majority of this story will be in an Alternate Reality (AU).
> 
> In addition, I did not describe Blaise as black in this story, since it is a small detail; I could go back and describe him as black. However, I earlier envisioned him as a dark Italian, and I have decided not to change my depiction. Furthermore, since this story takes place in Harry’s 7th year, the events described as flashbacks of 6th year obviously didn't happen in canon.
> 
> **Contact Info:** I have a mailing list that updates people on my latest fiction: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dreamhowler_writings/join>

**_Chapter 3 - The Concert_ **

It was still several days before Halloween and the scheduled concert, but Harry was a nervous wreck. _'What if I forget the spells, and can't change my appearance? What will I do if I forget the words to the songs? What will happen if the spells wear off during the concert if I do remember them? What if Draco catches the slip, and boots me out of the band?’_ Harry groaned. _'Okay. Stop panicking. You’re not going to let anything like that happen. You’ve stood up to a Dark Wizard every year since you were eleven, so surely you can pull off a mere concert!'_

Harry needed someone to talk to about his insecurities, so he decided that the best therapy was to write Caesius. Caesius always made him feel better. Only, Harry was beginning to feel a little bit guilty about his new friendship with Draco. He wasn’t sure if Caesius would be jealous of the friendship or not. The truth was, Harry found the “new” Draco to be much more intriguing than he ever thought possible. Draco could be witty and extremely charming, and Harry had recently discovered how good-looking the other boy had become. Draco’s once-pointy face had developed into a strong, well-formed chin. His hair was longer now and he wore it pulled back in a silver ribbon. There were times when Harry did a double take looking at Draco. Sometimes it would take several moments to make sure that _Lucius_ wasn’t the one standing next to him during band practice.

Shaking his head, Harry walked over to his trunk and pulled out a piece of parchment, ink, and a quill. It was time that Harry did something for himself for a change, forgetting the consequences for once. He was a Gryffindor, and he was going to act like one, by boldly rushing into the situation and taking what he wanted.

After he finished the letter, Harry leaned out of the window and blew the special whistle that Caesius had given him. Moments later, Arrow flew into Gryffindor tower, and Harry sent him off, carrying the new letter. Putting away his writing tools, he went down to dinner. He was nervous now, but for a different reason, and he hoped that Caesius would finally put him out of his misery. Harry had to find out soon who Caesius was, or he feared that his attention would begin to focus on Draco, who he was certain wanted nothing to do with the “real” Harry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco Malfoy was in the music room, trying to write a new song, but it wasn't turning out quite the way that he had planned. Frustrated, Draco threw down his quill and sighed. It wasn't like him to feel this sort of anxiety. He was now mostly without a family, or any sort of support system, and he had no one he could really turn to in a time of need. Most of his so-called friends had pulled away from him after his father died. He had realized the truth the hard way: that the only reason most of the Slytherins had appeared to be his friends was due to his father’s influence. It had hurt when he realized that the only ones who hadn't totally deserted him were Blaise and Daphne. Of course, one of the main reasons they were still friends was because no one in either of their families was a Death Eater, which meant that they didn't have anyone to influence them to drop his Draco’s friendship. Blaise had become his closest friend during the last year and a half. Draco was glad he had convinced Blaise to join him in his dream.

Draco knew he couldn't get a decent job when he got out of school. His family name had deteriorated so much that even the news that Lucius Malfoy had assisted the Ministry by providing them with names of other Death Eaters did not help. Draco had thought of playing professional Quidditch or perhaps becoming an Auror, but he sincerely doubted he would have either option. There would always be those who would doubt his sincerity. Therefore, he had turned to his greatest love: music. Music would help him _be_ someone, but it would all depend on how well the band played at their concerts. Draco had asked Professor Dumbledore to give his permission for the group to play at the Three Broomsticks on Hogsmeade weekends, and possibly one extra weekend if Madame Rosmerta was agreeable to the arrangement. This would all depend, of course, on how the band was received after their first concert. It hadn't taken much to convince her that live music would draw an even bigger crowd; although, she was coming to the Halloween concert at the school to hear them before she made her final decision. Dumbledore was a bit harder to convince than Madame Rosmerta was. He made Draco promise to be careful, that the group comes back to the castle before dark, and that they would take an escort. Draco didn't really mind the last stipulation, because since it was common knowledge now that his father had betrayed the Dark Lord, he might be a target.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On the opposite side of the school, and many floors above, Harry was doing his homework alone. Ron was off with his girlfriend, Daphne, and Hermione was with Fred in the library. Now that his friends had paired off, it was a typical weekend for Harry. He shrugged as he finished off his Potions essay and headed up to his room to retrieve his father's cloak. He wanted to work on some new song ideas in the music room before band practice. It was just a few days before the Halloween concert, and he needed to practice his song a bit more anyway. Harry found it rather amusing that Draco hadn't noticed the significance of the very personal song Pawn. The song was something that only someone whose life was a great deal like Harry Potter’s could have written. Luckily, it seemed that Draco was too distracted to notice, and so Harry’s cover was still safe.

Just as Harry was about to throw the cloak over his head, he heard the hoot of an owl and saw Arrow fly in the window. Harry smiled. _'Well, hopefully that's a good sign. He sent a response quickly; I just hope I_ _don't have too much longer to wait to meet him.’_ Unrolling the parchment, he began to read.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_Harry,_

_I understand what you mean. There have been many people in my life that I thought I knew, only to find out years later that I didn’t really know them at all. Take you for example. Along with the majority of the Wizarding World, I was brought up believing that your Muggle relatives adored you, and that you had everything you could_ _ever want. That you lived like a King and that was why you broke so many rules at Hogwarts._

_After reading your letters, I realize now how untrue that statement is. Your parents, killed when you were a baby. Your godfather, sent to Azkaban for a murder he didn't commit. And you were forced to live with people who thought you were unnatural and a freak. Personally, I don't know how I would have survived that, myself. I think it's amazing how well you turned out, being that you’re the product of that kind of environment._

_It is too bad that many people will never know the truth. Maybe when you’re older, you should have someone write a book about your life - you could finally set the record straight, and perhaps get some peace. Just don't let it be one of the Creevey brothers, I don’t think they would do you justice. I find their fan club utterly ridiculous. When will they get a clue that you don't want one?_

_Anyway, I want to thank you for finally answering my questions. I know that it is hard to trust someone you don't know, and I’m glad to see that you have finally decided to extend that privilege to me. I think I have made you suffer enough, Harry. I want to meet you, on November 7th at midnight in the Astronomy tower. Please say you will come, Harry. I have to tell you in person how I feel._

Y _ours truly,_

_Caesius_

_P.S. Don't forget to take off the necklace for duelling class tomorrow. I don't think you should have an unfair advantage when you need to be practicing shield charms. By the way, below is a list of charms that are on the necklace. I have seen Ms. Granger trying to get a pass to the restricted section to research them. It might be helpful if she knows what she’s looking for:_

_Repelus – Repels hexes_   
_Caudex – Blocks curses and jinxes, making them bounce back to their caster_   
_Gustos – A powerful shield charm that encases the user in a shield, protecting them from harm_   
_Defendere – Defends against Dark and unfriendly spells_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry beamed. Caesius was finally going to tell him who he was! Ecstatic, Harry quickly penned a reply and sent it off. His answering note wasn't very long, but Harry hoped it conveyed the right amount of need and happiness. Putting away his writing materials, he put his cloak on and wandered down the stairs towards the practice room.

As Harry walked down the halls, the Knut that he carried in his pocket began vibrating again. The Knut was a part of a door alarm that went off when the ward around the band room was tripped. The alarm had first gone off while he was writing his reply to Caesius. Pulling back into the shadows, he set the Knut to ‘identify’ and noticed that Draco had entered earlier. Pulling back into a nearby secret passageway, Harry quickly cast his spells to become Anton before walking into the practice room.

Clearing his throat, Harry moved further into the room. Draco started slightly at the sound and looked up from his work.

"Hello, Anton,” Draco whispered quietly.

"Hi, Draco, what's the matter? You look a little down, “Harry said.

"Oh, not down. More like, I’m nervous. This concert needs to go well, or we may not get anywhere as a band. Even if _we_ don't go anywhere, I bet you could do it without us, Anton,” Draco said in reply.

Harry chuckled softly. "Draco, I couldn't do much without a band. You’re being too hard on yourself. Of course, I think you’ve always been that way, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

Draco sat still and pondered this for a few moments before replying. "You seem to know me very well, Anton."

Harry grinned. "Well, I have become pretty observant since really getting to know you, Draco. You like to project this ‘I’m in charge’ kind of attitude, but most of the time it’s just an act."

Draco sighed. "Yeah, you’re right. I was just thinking that this could be my only shot if to do some sort of real work for a living. Of course, I probably don't need to work, but who wants to sit around all the time and not do anything? At least my father had the Board of Governors, and things like that to do."

Harry looked at Draco in confusion. "What about Quidditch?"

Draco shrugged. "Guess they don't want me. I applied to a couple of my favourite teams; they told me that they didn't have any openings."

Harry chuckled. "Maybe they didn't... it's not always a brush off. I heard last week that the Magpies needed a Seeker, though they might have filled it by now."

Draco frowned. "Well, that was one of the teams I applied to, and it doesn't surprise me that they didn't owl me. I would imagine that they needed someone now as opposed to later, but Father has kind of sullied the family name with all his… activities, so that doesn't help either."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I suppose not. However, I heard that he gave the names of many Death Eaters before he died. That should have helped, right? I mean, he helped the Ministry a lot when he did that. Although, it happened when Fudge was still in office... so, I’m really not surprised that the extent of his help went unrecognized."

Draco chuckled. "Anton, my father wasn't doing that to help anyone but himself. Azkaban is horrible, even if most of the Dementors are gone..."

Harry understood this reasoning - probably more than most. Sirius had mentioned several times about how bad Azkaban was with the Dementors. "Yeah, I would imagine it was worse with all the Dementors there."

Draco nodded. "Father always said it was pretty bad. He really wouldn't talk about it much. I can't say I blame him, though."

A moment later, Harry felt the Knut in his pocket vibrate once more, and Wayne and Blaise walked in. Halting their conversation, Harry and Draco moved to get their instruments, and they fell into their normal positions to begin band practice.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On October 31st, Professor Dumbledore dismissed all classes halfway through the day. The Headmaster and the professors knew that the students were too excited to learn, and it would not do any good to hold them in their classes. Since they had extra time to get ready, the girls began running from dorm to dorm, borrowing items from their friends that would look the best. Everyone was given permission to wear regular clothes instead of their dress robes to the feast and concert tonight, and everybody was very excited by the prospect.

The Hogwarts rumour mill -also known as Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown - heard that Draco Malfoy was bragging about their new bass player. However, no one knew who the mysterious new band member was.

Some speculated that he was a student who had already graduated, or that he was a friend of one of the other members. Others hypothesized that he might even be an adult, perhaps even one of the professors. Draco squashed that particular rumour, although he revelled in the sheer number of guesses that people were making. They were making his band more popular than he could have guessed.

However, by the time the feast began, Draco was worried. Looking around, Draco was unable spot Anton anywhere, and they needed to set up shortly. Dumbledore had just now said his normal nonsense words, and the feast began. Draco knew that playing with a full stomach was not a good idea, and that it would cause extreme indigestion, so he limited himself to a light dinner.

Once Draco had finished, he looked around and signalled to Blaise and Wayne that it was time to get ready. Glancing around one more time for Anton, Draco wondered if they were even going to get to perform. _'Did Anton freak out and get sick? Is he in the hospital wing? Where is he?’_ Draco thought frantically.

"Not worried about me, are you, Draco?" whispered a voice that seemed to be coming out of thin air. Draco turned quickly, startled to find Anton already in the room. "I came in early; I was too nervous to eat."

"Oh, no… of course, I wasn't worried about you. You said you would be here, right?” Draco breathed a sigh of relief, as Harry smirked at him. Harry knew the truth; Draco was afraid that his mysterious band mate wasn't going to show up. 'It's nice to see him show some emotions. For a while there, I was worried he didn't have any,’ Harry thought to himself.

Draco cleared his throat as he looked around at their scattered instruments. "Well, we might as well relax for a few minutes. The feast is about half over. Any last minute things we need to discuss? Are we still going with the same song order?” Draco asked the group.

"As far as I know, unless you’ve changed your mind about Pawn,” Blaise replied as he looked over toward Anton.

Harry sighed, looking over at the dark-haired boy, and shrugged. "I know you guys like it and all, but I just have a bad feeling about playing it in front of the school. But, you want me to sing it, so I guess I will. Though, if you don't see me for a while after the show, my friends have killed me,” Anton said with a slight laugh.

"Anton, I doubt your friends would kill you for singing it. Have a little more faith in them,” Wayne replied with a chuckle.

Harry shrugged and laughed. "Maybe they’ll think that it's about Draco or something, and won't connect me to it. However, I’ve never been that lucky. Not like they even know I can sing or anything..."

Draco's right brow lifted in surprise. "You still haven't told them? You've had almost two months to tell them, Anton. Well, maybe they’ll figure it out, and you won't have to tell them. You probably should have told them before the concert."

Harry shrugged again. "I guess I was going for the surprise angle, really. Surprise, I am a musician, I can sing, and play the bass guitar.” Harry chuckled as he grinned at Draco.

Draco snorted. "Well, hopefully it will be a good surprise to them. You should hear the rumours floating around about you; they are getting more ridiculous every day. The most popular seems to be you’re some graduate student who’s doing us a favour. I think the rumour mill is working overtime since they have no clue who you are."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, my favourite is that I’m Snape. Really, I think I look _much_ better than Snape, and any band that had Snape in it would probably scare off the audience. He still makes students cry on a daily basis."

Harry's comment made the whole group laugh, and Wayne spoke up, snickering. "Yeah, though he has been looking a bit better this term. I think he must be using a tooth whitening charm or something. Maybe that’s why people think you’re Snape. He's been trying to improve his appearance; maybe he has his eye on someone. Even Professor Lupin glanced at him oddly in the hall the other day. Maybe they’re dating or something?"

Harry blinked. "Are Snape and Professor Lupin even gay? I guess it is possible. It would make things interesting around here. It's not as if we have ever seen any of the professors with anyone. I wonder if any of them are even married."

Everyone shrugged. Harry doubted that most of the students at Hogwarts wondered if the professors had their own private lives. The only ones young enough to think about were Professors Lupin and Snape, and even then… Just as Blaise was about to comment on Harry's question however, there was a knock on the door, and Professor Dumbledore stuck his head in, his blue eyes twinkling brightly. "Gentlemen, it's time."

The group grabbed their instruments and placed them on the platform, and a moment later, they appeared on stage in the Great Hall. Several minutes later, they heard their band's name announced, and the group walked out the door and calmly up the side stairs to the platform. The long table that normally held the teachers' dinners was now along the far wall, and the area made a nice stage. Draco said a few words to the crowd, introducing the members of the band before they began their first number.

By the time the band got to Harry's songs, Harry had forgotten all about his worries and his friends. The crowd loved their songs, his songs; the cheering after each song was getting louder as the excitement built into a feverish pitch. Soon the stage lights lowered, and a spotlight appeared on Harry, it was time for his two special songs. Harry sat on a stool and began to play his first song, One.

 

Affirmative may be justified  
Take from one give to another  
The goal is to be unified  
Take my hand, be my brother  
The payment silenced the masses  
Sanctified by oppression  
Unity took a backseat  
Sliding further into regression

One, Oh One, the only way is one  
One, Oh One, the only way is one  
I feel angry… I feel helpless  
Want to change the world  
I feel violent… I feel alone  
Don't try and change my mind, no

Society blinded by colour  
Why hold down one to raise another  
Discrimination now on both sides  
Seeds of hate blossom further  
The world is heading for mutiny  
When all we want, is unity  
We may rise and fall, but in the end  
We meet our fate together

One, Oh One, the only way is one  
One, Oh One, the only way is one

I feel angry… I feel helpless  
Want to change the world  
I feel violent… I feel alone  
Don't try and change my mind... no.

I feel angry… I feel helpless  
Want to change the world  
I feel violent… I feel alone  
Don't try and change my mind no

Ohhhhhhh…  
Yeah…  
Ohhhhhhh…  
Yeah…

I feel angry… I feel helpless  
Want to change the world yeah  
I feel violent… I feel alone  
Don't try and change my mind no

I feel angry… I feel helpless  
Want to change the world yeah  
I feel violent… I feel alone  
Don't try and change my mind

 

After a few moments, the clapping died down, and Harry began pouring his heart and soul into his very personal song, Pawn, his rich baritone voice carrying through the Hall as the band played along with him. The audience seemed captivated by both of the songs, and the Hall was so quiet that all the talking had died down to complete silence. No one knew who the young man that was on the stage was, but they somehow felt like they intimately knew him now. The song gave them all a glimpse into a tortured soul, and the crowd ate it up. When the last note of the song ended, the Hall was completely silent. No one moved, no one talked, and some had their mouths hanging open, while several had fainted. Harry looked up from his guitar, and smiled weakly, and suddenly the crowed erupted into loud cheers. The moment had passed, and the crowd had finally found their voices, there were many whispering about the mysterious singer again.

Harry looked over to Dumbledore, and instead of finding a mad or upset look on his face; he saw a look of sorrow and understanding. Harry had a feeling that the next time Dumbledore had something important to tell him, that he wouldn't have to beg for an answer. Dumbledore finally seemed to understand that Harry was suffering from the lack of information, which was the whole point of the song, really. The group played a few more songs, and their concert was over. When they were finally able to slip back into the back room again, they let out a sigh of relief. Their first public concert was a success, and they couldn't be happier.

As Draco grinned as he collapsed on a nearby chair. "Anton, I can't believe you stunned them into silence. Did you see how many girls fainted?"

Harry chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I looked up and thought they hated it... then bang! I _still_ can't believe that they liked it that much."

Draco smirked. "I can. It's a great song, Anton. It makes them swoon because you get so lost in it. They see the tortured soul, the moody artist who just wants to be understood. It's a good thing, trust me."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. Well, should we mingle, or should we disappear and go back to our common rooms? I don't know if I’m in the mood to give autographs or anything. I feel sort of wiped out."

Draco shrugged. "We can go if you want to slip out. Go get some sleep; you deserve it. We will see you at the next practice, okay?"

Harry smiled. "Okay, see you then."

Harry waited for a few moments as Draco, Blaise, and Wayne walked out the door to the Great Hall. When the door had shut behind them, Harry walked over to a sconce mounted on the wall, and turned it slightly. Suddenly, a secret passage appeared and Harry stepped inside. It was great having the Marauder’s Map. He would have never known that there was a secret teacher’s passage to this room unless it had been on there. Moments later, he took off his disguise, and snuck back into the Great Hall as Harry Potter. Fortunately, most everyone was too wrapped up in the piped music to notice that he hadn't been there all along.

Just as he made it to where his friends were sitting, Hermione was looking at him oddly. "Oh, there you are, Harry. I know you hate dancing, but you could have come to the concert."

Harry chuckled and shrugged slightly. "I don't hate dancing 'Mione, I just have never learned to do it."

Hermione nodded. "You missed a great concert though, Harry. I hope we get to hear them again soon. I am surprised. Malfoy has a great voice, and that guy that no one seems to know, is really good too. Lavender and Parvati fainted after one of the songs he sang. It was a little embarrassing for them, since they fell into a vat of punch.” Hermione snickered softly.

Harry snorted. "Really? Oh, I would like to have seen that, at least. Maybe it washed off some of their makeup."

Hermione gasped. "Harry! Really!"

Harry laughed. "Oh, come on, Hermione. I know you think the same thing..."

Hermione scowled. "Perhaps, but I don't say it out loud where they might be able to hear it."

Harry winked. "Oh, well. If they heard me, I guess I’ll have to apologize. However, I doubt they did, since they seem to be surrounding Malfoy, chattering away."

Hermione looked over in Malfoy's direction, and noticed that Harry was right. "I suspect they are trying to find out what happened to the mysterious bassist. Their major rumour of the mystery guy being Professor Snape was shot down, since he was scowling at the stage for at least the last half of the concert. After one of the songs, Snape suddenly stood up and left the room. I think the guy called it Pawn."

Harry blinked. _'Snape left after he heard Pawn? Oh great… I bet he figured out who I was, and by morning, I will have my friends all over me, upset because I didn't tell them I was in Draco's band.'_

Harry shrugged, leaning forward to whisper in Hermione's ear. "Maybe he had a meeting to go to?"

Hermione cocked her head slightly to the left. "Hmm, it _is_ possible... though I didn't see him clutching his arm like he normally does."

Harry was doomed. "Okay, well... it was just a thought."

Hermione nodded. "Well, it's time to go back to our common room. You are coming, Harry?"

Harry smiled weakly. "Yeah, I’m right behind you."

While Harry and Hermione walked back to the common room, Ron was walking Daphne back to her own before joining them. The moment they got inside, Harry headed to the stairs, and went up to bed. He would worry about Snape in the morning.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, as luck would have it, was a double Potions class. As Harry, Hermione, and Ron made their way toward the classroom, Harry tried not to look nervous. The class went by much quieter than normal. Snape lectured mostly on the properties of certain ingredients that they had used in a potion in the previous class. As the class was about to end, Snape cleared his throat. "Mr. Potter. Please stay behind; I would like a word with you."

Harry gulped. _'I should have known...'_ "Yes, Professor."

The class quickly emptied out, Hermione giving Harry a puzzled look since he had been taking notes, and paying attention in class. Sitting quietly at his desk, Harry waited for the fall out. What shocked Harry though, was the look on Snape's face; he didn’t appear to be upset at all.

"Mr. Potter. I know that we have not gotten along in the past, and I know that fault lies mostly with me. I am not one to ask for forgiveness, nor offer apologies. Many of our past troubles have come about for many reasons, however, many things I did, was intended to help keep you out of trouble. However, that is not what we are here to discuss today. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to help you yet again, as if I did not already have enough to do. As someone who has been at the Dark Lord's side for longer than you have been alive, I know him better than most. As any good spy would have done, I have been studying the Dark Lord since he resurrected a body and came back to power."

"Professor Dumbledore has requested that I help you learn his weaknesses, and his strengths. The time is coming when he will no longer hold back his plans. In fact, the Dark Lord’s plans are becoming wilder each day, and he is beginning to start killing anyone who does not follow, and carry out his plans to the letter, which is most of the time, impossible. The few that he does not kill, are ripped apart by cutting hexes, and are mangled almost beyond repair by the time they are taken from his presence. He is quickly loosing support, but the Death Eaters are afraid that he would go after their families..."

"Professor, is... is that what really happened to Malfoy's father?” Harry asked quietly. He already knew part of the answer, but he wanted to see if Draco was telling the truth.

Startled by the question, Snape gave a quick nod. "Yes, that was part of the reason. The Dark Lord was displeased with Lucius when his son refused to become a Death Eater, and because Lucius was telling the Ministry the locations of some of the Dark Lord's bankrolls and hideouts. The Dark Lord was loosing money with each bargaining chip that Lucius played. Lucius was trying to bargain his way out of Azkaban, and the other Death Eaters executed with him were just additional benefits. He said he had no use for followers that could not follow him. He is quite imbalanced, and thought they all had betrayed him. I doubt that is true, but it left his son alone. I will be training him as well, and I would like to do it at the same time, but I know you two aren't the best of friends..."

Harry smiled. "It's okay, Professor. I think we will get along well enough to train properly."

Professor Snape smirked. "Yes, I see you already get along quite well, Mr. Potter. That was an interesting song you sung last night."

Harry gulped. "Excuse me? I... I... don't sing, Professor..."

Snape's brow rose. "I am not stupid, Mr. Potter. However, I could be persuaded not to tell Mr. Malfoy who you are, for the answer to a question."

Harry glared slightly. "What kind of question?"

Describing Snape’s face would be impossible; it morphed into what looked to be a half smile - half sneer. "Not a hard question, Mr. Potter. One I think you can answer quite easily."

Harry sighed. "What is it, Professor?"

Snape grinned. "It's a question with several parts, but it all has to do with your new found talents. I might even be able to tell you something you might not have known as well."

"Please get on with it, Sir...” Harry said unconvincingly.

"First, how many of the songs last night were written by you?" Snape asked.

"About four of them, and if one of your other questions is wither or not I wrote Pawn, the answer is yes,” Harry replied.

"My, My, Mr. Potter. I had no idea that you had such talent. Though, it does kind of run in your family, so I shouldn't be too surprised," said Snape.

Harry blinked in confusion. "Runs in my family, what are you talking about, Professor? No one told me either of my parents had any musical talents..."

Snape chuckled, the sound startling Harry so that he almost fell out of his seat. _'Snape never laughed!'_ Harry thought worriedly.

"Well, I suppose neither Lupin nor Black told you then. I shouldn't be surprised. They've probably forgotten, or they didn't know at all. Anyway, I used to hide and listen to your mother when we were in school. She played the violin, with about as much passion as you play your guitar. I don't even know if Potter or the rest of them knew about it. However, my downfall was listening to her. Black saw me coming out of the same room he saw Lily enter, and I guess he thought something was going on between us, you see, she was already dating Potter then. That was shortly before Lupin almost killed me."

Harry looked stunned. "S-so, you were nearly _killed_ because of a misunderstanding involving my mum?” Harry asked in disbelief. “I...I'm sorry, Professor."

Snape scoffed. "I never blamed your mother for that. My re-payment was that she stopped talking to Black, and even your father for a while. Dumbledore wouldn’t expel Black. Like your father, Black was one of Dumbledore's Golden Boys; he couldn't just expel them. Then, I was sworn to secrecy until after school was over."

Harry laughed softly, but then frowned. "I bet he was mad. Although, why would she stop talking to my father? He saved you, didn't he?"

Snape nodded. "She thought it was a joint plot to get me killed or bitten. Werewolves are quite vicious when they don't take the potion, as you well know. Back then, Wolfsbane was not available. It was after we all were out of school; that it came into existence. However, Lupin didn't take it until he came here to teach. I think the main reason she was so angry, is that Black could have gotten Lupin killed if he had bitten me or worse killed me."

Harry nodded. "Professor, can I ask why you revealed that Professor Lupin was a werewolf? I know you set the essay before the night at the Shrieking Shack, but Hermione is really smart, she was able to figure it out where not many did. I can only guess, but I would say that was to get back at him for attacking you when you were in school. Yet, I wonder if that’s the only reason. I mean; was part of your reason because he forgot to drink his potion.”

Snape scowled. "Not that it is any of your business Potter, but it wasn’t just me. However, it was partly because of the potion incident. Lupin was careless, and put many lives in danger that night, and if you recall, it almost ended your life as well."

Harry frowned. "It's not like he tried to do it on purpose, Professor. He was trying to save me from Pettigrew."

Snape sneered. "I know that now, Potter. However, it didn't take long for word to spread about his condition. He returned to school all bloody since he’d gotten into a fight with Black. Normally, during that time of the month, Lupin locked himself away at Grimmauld Place, no threat to anyone. However, when he went after you, he forgot the most important thing. No matter how normal he is the rest of the month, on that night, he’s a monster. He would have killed you, or anyone else, without a moment's hesitation. Lupin could have killed our only chance to win this war; it was a risk that we couldn't take.

“When the staff announcements came in this year, and no one else would take the Defence job, I couldn't believe that the board allowed Dumbledore to call him back. Of course, this time he has an assistant to take over the three days surrounding the time of his change. The Board decided not to take chances with the safety of its students. Despite the fact that they were upset because Dumbledore didn't see fit to tell them of Lupin's condition the first time around, they agreed that he was the only possible candidate, given that they didn't want to give up one of their Aurors to take the post."

Harry nodded and sighed. "I just hated it because I learned so much from him. The rest of our professors have been a joke, really. Quirrell always acted like he was afraid of everything, then we found out he had Voldemort literally _in_ his head. Then, Lockhart was a ponce who couldn't cast spells correctly to save his life. Did you know that all his books are phoney? He used memory charms on the people who actually did all those things."

Snape snorted. "I always knew he wasn't that good at everything. I tried to tell Albus it was a mistake to hire him, but as usual, my words of wisdom were ignored."

Harry smirked. "Crouch _did_ at least teach me how to resist the Unforgivables. I hope that little bit of information is still a secret. Anyway, then of course, we have Umbridge, who was so full of herself that she thought that there was no possible reason we might need to defend ourselves. ‘Theory only, no practical,’ she said. How were any of us going to pass our O.W.L.s with only theory in DA? So, we got together and taught ourselves; and I'd say our group faired better than the rest of the fifth years."

Snape sneered. "Yes, I am quite well aware of your so called ‘secret’ group. It wasn't a secret, but then, the other professors were asked to try and turn a blind eye to its activities."

Harry blinked. "Well, I guess that shouldn't surprise me. Dumbledore normally knows what is going on; the portraits tell him everything. I learned that a long time ago."

Snape agreed. "Well, when Dumbledore told me about it, I already knew.” At the startled look he received from Harry, he went on to explain. “I heard Weasley talking about it a bit too loudly when the group started. I didn't know where it was meeting until after Dumbledore said anything though, and he gave me the job of keeping Filch away from that end of the castle."

Harry nodded. "Anyway, what was your other question?"

Snape seem to ponder this for a moment before responding. "How did you persuade Mr. Malfoy into letting you into the band without letting him know who you are?"

Harry smirked. "Well, I just let my Slytherin side show. I told him he had no other options if he wanted to start a band now, instead of after school."

Snape's mask of indifference fell briefly, before it slid back into place. "Slytherin side?"

Harry smiled. "Well, don't spread it around, but the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."

Snape looked startled. "Hmm, that would have been interesting; there would have been no Golden Trio."

Harry's eyes glittered with mischief. "Really, Professor? I bet it just would have had different members."

Snape feigned shock. "Yes, I imagine so. You seem to inspire such feelings, much as your father once did. He always had the loyal friends. Well, except the one, of course."

Harry nodded, looking sad for a moment. "Yeah, except him. As for my father, I wouldn't know. As I have told you numerous times, I am my own person."

Snape sneered. "Yes, I suppose you are, Mr. Potter."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, the band got together to discuss the concert and their next gig. Draco had talked to Madam Rosmerta after the concert, and she had graciously decided to allow them to play on Hogsmeade weekends as long as they kept up their studies.

"So, she loved us, huh?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded. "Of course she did. She loved you especially, said you reminded her of someone she used to know growing up.” Draco raised an eyebrow and then grinned. "Anyway, it seems everyone that I have talked to loved your song. I notice you are alive; did your friends not figure it out? Or did they not react as bad as you thought they would?"

Harry chuckled softly. "Well, if they haven't figured it out yet, they will soon. Once the lyrics sink in, it won't take long for them to figure it out."

Draco smirked. "Well, it probably would be better to just tell them now, and get it over with."

Harry nodded and sighed softly. "I know. I just like the feeling of having no one know who I am."

Draco looked down at the floor with the same sort of sad look on his face. "I know how you feel. People either fear me because of my name, or hate me for my past behaviour. Sometimes both."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that, too. Having people hate you or like you for things you have no control over isn't fun."

Draco smiled slightly. ’ _Well, isn't that a heck of a thing to bond over,’_ Draco thought.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night after the band practice, Hermione and Ron cornered Harry in the common room.  
Harry sighed softly. "If you want to talk to me, it can't be here, let's go somewhere else."

Hermione nodded. "Well then, we can go to the Room of Requirement."

The three agreed, and turned to walk out the door. As they approached the Room of Requirement, Harry paced back and forth three times, thinking of a comfortable place to have a long conversation. Once inside, he had Hermione cast the Imperturbable Charm and a locking spell on the door before he sat down and looked at his two best friends.

"Well, what is this about? I have a pretty good idea, but you will have to tell me what's wrong first," Harry said.

Hermione looked over at Ron, then back at Harry. "We know you're in Draco's band, Harry. It took me a few days to figure it out, but I am pretty sure that you are this mysterious Anton guy."

Harry sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I’m Anton. Though you can't tell anyone, _please_ , you have to promise me!"

"But Harry," Hermione sputtered.

"Hermione, I’m finally having fun! I am finally doing something that I love. I...I... don't know what I would do if it was taken away from me. Malfoy is actually quite funny once you get to know him. He's been nice to me the whole time. I know that doesn’t really make him a good person, but I just can't see what it hurts being in a band. No one knows but you, Dumbledore, and Snape. Oh, and get this, my mom used to be a great violin player! Snape told me so... I was shocked. He finally told me what caused his attack by Professor Lupin. He was listening to my mum play the violin one day, and Sirius caught him sneaking out. He thought something was going on between them, and decided to teach him a lesson! I still can't believe that he did that, but I guess he thought he was protecting mum.” Harry spoke excitedly, barely taking a breath between sentences.

Hermione looked at Ron and sighed softly. "Harry, I understand you are having fun, but you know Malfoy will try to find out who you are sooner or later. Once he does, you won’t be in it anyway, though if he were smart, he wouldn't kick you out. You have a lot of talent that should be expressed, Harry. I just wish it hadn't taken so long for you to tell us that you even sang or played an instrument."

Harry hung his head. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I just wanted something for myself for a change. Something that was just mine... something that I could just be myself, and not have to put on some show. Everyone expects me to be the perfect little ‘Golden Boy’... but I'm not. If Malfoy finds out, then he finds out. I won't quit, not now after everything is going so well for the rest of the band."

Ron blinked at his best mate, and finally spoke up. "Harry, you're right. Since I started dating Daphne, Malfoy's been nice to me. It seems that they’re best friends, and she pretty much let me know that if I wanted to go out with her, I would have to be tolerant of him. He's actually been okay the little time I have spent around him. Daphne says that he has changed a lot since his dad died. I guess what I am trying to say is... just be careful. Even if he is nice now, he still has the Death Eaters after him, trying to kill him. Daphne told me he refused the Dark Mark over the summer."

Harry nodded. "I know. He told me... he mentioned it one night at band practice. We talk about current events sometimes, especially when we are too tired to practice. We started writing a song together last week. It's going to be good, I think. We’re supposed to play at The Three Broomsticks next Hogsmeade weekend."

Hermione and Ron smiled. "Well, we’ll have to make sure we’re there to cheer on Anton then," Hermione said. Through an unspoken agreement, the three stood, Hermione lowering the charms on the room, and the three went back to their common room to go to bed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The days passed too slowly for Harry, but soon, it was almost time to meet his mysterious pen pal. It had been a struggle recently between thinking of his band and his pen pal. The letters, though frequent, were about down to a three a week frequency now. However, he had learned a lot about his pen pal over the last several weeks. What bugged Harry was that he felt like he knew him. All though he didn't come out and say it exactly, Caesius seemed, with each day, more familiar to him. He just couldn't quite put a finger on what was.

When Thursday night came, Harry was extremely nervous. Tomorrow night was the night he would meet Caesius; the night that Harry would finally meet the boy that he had slowly been falling for over the summer. The classes that day seemed to drag on, and Harry wondered when they would end. However, for the first time in years, he actually enjoyed Potions class. Professor Snape paired Harry up with Draco, who actually was being nice to him that day. It was the perfect end to the week, now if he could just not be so nervous tomorrow night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Friday hit, bright and sunny, and Harry sat in the common room pondering who his pen pal could be. Harry had pretty much ruled out anyone in his own house. In fact, after the comments about Draco, Harry could narrow the writer of the letters to one house, Slytherin. Of course, quite a few people in that house had hurt him over the years, though he wondered if this wasn't some sort of trick to get information out of him. _‘No… I don't think anyone is that devious…it would have been in the Daily Prophet by now, if it had. The letters are nice and friendly… though, whoever it is, they seemed to know quite a bit about Draco Malfoy. Could Draco be writing me? He seemed to be really nice to me this year...’_ Harry shook his head. _‘No, no matter what, I seriously doubt that what Caesius had said was true. Sure Draco didn't bother us half as much last year, but that didn't mean he had become… nice. Of course, who said that behind that “mask” he wears isn't a nice person. It could be possible couldn't it?’_ Harry shrugged. _‘Stranger things have happened in my life…'_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night, Harry got out his invisibility cloak and went to meet Caesius. The last time he had felt this nervous was in his fifth year when he was fighting Voldemort. _‘It's just a boy! You can handle this, Harry; don't get your knickers in a knot,’_ Harry scolded himself as he climbed the steps. Harry was going to bring his map to the meeting, but he figured that it might not be such a good idea to have it with him again. Checking the map outside the dorm and tower quickly before he actually left, he noticed that Filch was in his office down near the dungeons, so he was safe for a while. As he opened the door to the tower and stepped inside, he looked around. Harry was normally late everywhere he went the majority of the time, but surprisingly, he was a few minutes early. He sat down in one of the chairs and sighed softly as he pulled his cloak into his lap.

Caesius was hiding in the shadows of the room when he saw Harry come in. Luckily, he was behind Harry, so he was able to sneak up behind him and slip his fingers over his eyes for a moment before Harry tried to jerk out of his grasp.

“Shhh… it's just me handsome,” Caesius purred in his ear.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author Notes:** Hello everyone! How did you like it? Don't forget to feed the author and muse! Review today! Please? *smiles*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Songs:**

One by Creed


	4. Mystery Uncovered and Shocks

Harry shivered as the low husky voice purred into his ear. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

“I want to apologize before you see me, so I am going to slip this little blindfold over your eyes. I promise no one will hurt you,” he whispered.

“Okay, but no tricks… although if you were planning on turning me over to Voldemort, I doubt you would be this nice to me,” Harry whispered back.

“Harry, Harry, Harry. I told you I didn't believe all that pure-blood shite anymore, and I have you to thank for it.” Caesius slipped the blindfold over Harry's eyes and settled at Harry's feet. “Now I will tell you why you changed me, Harry. You see, you put my father in Azkaban, and even if I never thanked you before now… here it is. Thank you, Harry, for taking my father away from me; you will never know what you did for me when you did that. In fact, I am sure you have heard by now that he is dead, but I will get to that in a moment.”

Harry sat there stunned. ' _This can’t be who I think it is can it? No! It can’t be him,'_ Harry thought. ' _He wouldn't have wanted his father in Azkaban! He told me that he would make me pay for doing it!'_

“I bet by now you have figured out who I am. I don't think I was discreet in my letters. My only intent was that you got to know the real me, for you to learn who I really am. Still, I am sure you have wondered why I so often flirted with you in them,” he whispered.

“Dra... Malfoy? Is that you? Is this some kind of joke?” Harry said quietly, his face screwed up in confusion.

Draco smiled. “Yes Harry, surprise, it's me…” Draco reached up and took off the blindfold. “It's no joke though, Harry. I meant what I said in my letters. You have given me my life back; one I would have never had if you hadn't taken away Lucius from me. His grand plan was for me to take the Mark before my birthday and before seventh year started. He was going to force me to take the Dark Mark, Harry. That means that you practically saved my life. I didn't want to be your enemy, forced to fight you and try to kill you, when all I want is for you to be happy. You gave me a life, Harry, and that is why I wrote you those letters. You deserved to know the extent of my gratefulness.”

Harry looked down and noticed that it was indeed Draco, who was, oddly enough, sitting on the floor at his feet. Stunned didn't begin to cover the emotions he was feeling as he looked into Draco's silver blue eyes. Draco smiled up at him and something glittered in their depths. The truth -Draco was telling the truth.

Harry didn’t know what to think or feel. Mixed emotions swirled through his head, overwhelming him. He couldn’t handle the pressure, and grabbing his Invisibility Cloak he ran from the room in a daze, leaving behind a very stunned Draco.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Harry pulled Hermione into an abandoned classroom, threw up a Silencing Charm, and informed her of what had happened the night before. Hermione shared in Harry's confusion, but once she thought about it, all the clues in the letters made sense. When Harry told Hermione that he was sure that Draco was telling the truth, Hermione was speechless for the first time in her life.

"I don't know what to do, Hermione. I care about the new Draco, but what will he do if he ever figures out I am Anton? I just know he will freak out. He is always telling me that he will find out eventually, but I don't know... I just don't know what to do,” Harry admitted.

Hermione studied Harry for several seconds before replying. "Harry, I am sure that you don't want to cause him pain. It took guts to come out to you, and you ran away from him. If he‘s really serious, then he is probably pretty hurt right now. However, you might want to quit the band if you are afraid of hurting Malfoy further."

At that moment, Hermione realized that she had given Harry the wrong advice as Harry's face screwed up angrily. She knew it was useless to argue with him now.

"It will be slightly painful, but I want to be there for Draco, even if it is in a disguise,” Harry stated.

Although Hermione didn't really approve, she was well aware by now that when he decided something, there was hardly ever a way to make him change his mind. It was better to let Harry make his own mistakes, and butt out of it. In the end, the less she was involved with the whole mess, the better.

Hermione sighed. "All right, Harry, I will support you."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Hermione."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a week of not receiving letters, Harry was sure that Draco had given up on him. He hadn't gotten any letters since the night in the Astronomy tower, and Harry missed them a lot. Draco really did have a wicked sense of humour when he was in a good mood. His impression of his favourite teacher, Professor Snape, was hilarious. It was later that Harry learned that Professor Snape had become a kind of surrogate father to him, since his father's betrayal and death.

There were times when he saw Draco looking especially sad when he walked around by himself. ' _Maybe he did really like me. Perhaps I should just make a fool of myself and write him. At least he wouldn't look so sad...’_ Harry thought.

However, the next day, Draco seemed to be fine again. To say that the Slytherin was confusing was the understatement of the century. Of course, when Harry thought rationally, Draco didn't know that Anton was Harry so he, of course, wouldn't be giving him sad looks.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The days passed, and Draco tried not to think about Harry, but found it virtually impossible. The next day after the Astronomy tower incident, Draco sent a letter to him apologizing again for everything, and swore that he wouldn’t use anything he said against him. Draco hoped that Harry would respond, but it had been over a week now, and Draco’s heart slowly started to break. Harry had rejected him again, and try as he might, he couldn’t blame him this time.

Draco, in the absence of Harry's letters, had decided to throw himself into the band completely, concentrating on writing songs to go along with the ones that Anton had written. However, since Draco was sad, the songs were what most would term as sad love songs, though Draco wouldn't admit whom they were about. As the days passed, Draco started looking at Anton in a new light. It was disturbing that he seemed to be getting over Harry this soon, and was slowly falling for a guy whose true identity remained a mystery. Anton was everything that he liked in a guy; he was funny, intelligent, nice looking, and didn't care about Draco's past. The only problem was that Draco wished Anton would stop the act and come clean on his identity.

Of course, his thinking did inevitably return to Harry and he sighed, remembering what drove him to write Harry in the first place. During his 6th year, Draco had stopped being so nasty to everyone, stopped using racial slurs, and had just existed. Watching. The Slytherins thought he was mainly in shock from his father’s death, but he wasn't. During the summer after his 5th year, after he told Harry that he would pay for putting his father in Azkaban, he learned the real and horrible truth about his father. Lucius Malfoy was evil. So evil in fact, that he had his wife under the Imperious Curse the majority of the time, and had since Draco had turned eleven. The few times she had been able to fight it, she would send her son sweets from home. Once she started acting different, the House-Elves informed Lucius, and he would renew the spell.

When Draco arrived to the station to go home that summer, his mother hugged him for the first time since he was a small child. It made Draco understandably confused, and his mother told him that they would discuss it when they got home. After the pair arrived home, they had a long talk about what his father had made her do over the years for the “cause”. Much of which turned Draco’s stomach violently.

After two months of telling her son about the evil things that Lord Voldemort made her husband do for his cause and to their family, Draco made a shattering decision. He would die before he allowed Voldemort to win the war. This, of course, meant that he had no choice but to join the side of Harry Potter, his long time rival. Draco knew that he didn't have the survival skills and bravery needed to play a spy for Voldemort, so he needed to find some other way to help.

When Draco returned to school that year, he spent most of the year watching Harry. He was startled to realize that Harry was quite good looking, and that he wanted to get to know him better. Over time, Draco realized that he had severely misjudged the young Gryffindor. He noticed this most during his fifth and the beginning of his sixth year; Harry had pretty much withdrawn from his housemates and disappeared often. Draco had even tried to follow him several times, but Harry always seemed to duck down a secret passage and totally disappear before Draco could find out which way he had gone.

This, of course, frustrated Draco to no end. However, he had no idea where Harry was going, and even the best spies in Slytherin couldn't seem to track him. Eventually, Draco came up with the idea of apologizing in a letter, and that was where all of this began that summer. It had been great when Harry had confided in him and had treated him like a friend. He still had a small glimmer of hope that perhaps one day, Harry would come to realize that Draco wouldn't harm him or his friends anymore and perhaps consent to dating him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The weeks passed rather quickly, and the band itself had several more concerts in Hogsmeade. They even had a surprise sprung on them by Madam Rosmerta, when she arranged for one of the Weird Sisters to be in the Three Broomsticks one day. Of course, she wouldn't admit it was her doing, but the band knew better. Word had spread about their little band, and it was already making the Three Broomsticks more money than it had seen in a long time. Madame Rosmerta was extremely happy, and even paid the band a nice stipend as compensation for all their hard work. The band eventually needed a manager and the arguments over who would be suitable lasted more than a week.

"I still say that Pansy would do okay; I mean she is a Slytherin after all," said Blaise.

"True, but would she be greedy enough to run away with said money?" asked Draco.

"Well, I don't know. It's entirely possible that won't happen," replied Wayne.

"What about Granger? She's smart and would be too loyal to steal any money,” Draco stated.

Harry looked at Draco stunned, however, he quickly hid his expression. ' _Did Draco just suggest we use the girl he’s hated for seven years to be our manager? I mean,_ she _might do it,_ since _she knows that I am Anton, but I don't know.’_ Harry cleared his throat, "Ummm, well, I think she would do a good job, but why would she do us any favours? I mean, I doubt you would be able to get her to do anything for you until you apologize to her for the last seven years."

Draco looked at Anton and blinked. "Actually, I was planning on doing so; however, it is so hard to get her to pull her nose out of a book long enough. Of course, that is probably how she is always beating me in grades. I have never seen anyone study as much as Granger, and that includes the Ravenclaws."

Everyone had a good laugh over Draco's statement, including Harry. Harry knew first hand how much Hermione studied, including her coloured homework charts and study charts. Harry decided the best way to approach Hermione was to talk to her himself first. Perhaps she would do it if Harry told her what Draco said. Of course, that also depended on whether or not Draco apologized.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning after breakfast, Harry pulled Hermione aside and asked her if she would meet him before lunch break. Harry and Ron went to their classes, still feeling slightly guilty that they dropped Care of Magical Creatures to concentrate on other subjects. It was just as well, since Ron's brother was now teaching the subject. It was much easier to be fair when relatives were not in your class.

When lunch arrived, Hermione and Harry traipsed up several flights of stairs to once again use the Room of Requirement. After pacing back and forth three times, the door opened and the pair went inside. After they sat down, Harry began telling Hermione all that had went on the day before. After Harry had finished, Hermione sat quietly, thinking.

"Well, I would expect a full apology before I even consider it, Harry. Nevertheless, if he has been trying to apologize all year, then the next time I see him, I will see if I can talk to him," said Hermione.

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Hermione. I knew that you would be sensible about this. I was actually shocked he said such nice things about you. Of course, he has told me many times that all the stuff he said before his father's capture was mainly due to his father. If you recall, I still have problems not thinking I am a freak due to my relatives’ treatment."

Hermione nodded. "Well, Ron has given him a second chance, and you know how bitter rivals that they were. Of course, I think that is mainly because he is in love. Although, speaking of love, Fred and I are taking a bit of a break. It's just too hard right now; he's so busy with his shop and trying to make a living. It's getting harder and harder to see him. Perhaps after we get out of school, it will get better."

Harry frowned and nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I noticed he wasn't around as much lately. I just figured he was working, not that you two had called it quits. I don't know what to do about my love life, personally. I really want to tell Draco that I am Anton, but it's so nice that he has no expectations of me except writing and playing music. He doesn’t expect me to be a hero, or a leader, just myself."

Hermione hummed softly. "Harry, how about this. Although I am against lying, why don't I feel Draco out for you? I'll ask him if he still likes you and wants to go out with you. I mean you haven't seen anything in the _Daily Prophet_ yet, so he obviously wasn't doing it to humiliate you. If I find out that he still likes you, will you consider at least approaching him as Harry? You wouldn't have to tell him about Anton just yet."

Harry sighed and nodded. "That sounds like an okay idea, Hermione. Maybe it will work. I really do miss our letters; sometimes, I wish he hadn't told me."

Hermione placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, deciding a change of subject would be a good idea. "Come on, Harry, let's go get some lunch."

Harry nodded and followed Hermione to the Great Hall for Lunch, still contemplating their conversation. _'Is it possible that Draco still likes me,_ even _though I rejected him again? I guess I will have to wait and find out.'_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Draco approached Hermione about the band's opening. Hermione, at the beginning, was going to play slightly hard to get, but once she saw the remorse on Draco's face, she graciously accepted his apology on the condition that he answer a personal question. While Draco didn't really want to answer personal questions, he had a good idea who the question was about. His thoughts were confirmed several minutes later.

"I know that you wrote Harry all summer, and a good portion of the school term, Malfoy. What did you hope to accomplish, really?" asked Hermione.

Draco frowned as he replied. "Accomplish? I told him what I hoped to accomplish, Granger. I wanted to get to know him, without him telling me to go to hell. Tell me something, Granger. Would you have written me back if I had written you a letter and signed it, Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione blushed slightly. "I guess not. I probably would think just like Harry did when he got your letters, that it was some sort of trick."

Draco sighed softly, a frown gracing his aristocratic features. "I told him it was no trick either, though it seems that he didn't believe me. It was nice getting to know him; I finally felt happy for the first time in my life."

Hermione nodded. "Well, I know that Harry enjoyed getting your letters. He even told me that he missed them just yesterday."

Draco scowled. "Don't play with me Granger. He can't have missed them too much or he would have written me before now. I haven't heard from him since the day after I revealed myself. I wrote him a letter and he never returned it."

Hermione looked puzzled. "What letter? Harry said he hasn't gotten any letters from you since the Astronomy Tower incident."

Draco blinked. "He didn't get a letter from me the day after the Astronomy tower?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, he hasn’t, not unless he forgot to tell me about it. Which owl did you use? Why didn't you use your own?"

Draco hmmmed, "I don't know. I didn't use Arrow; he was out when I had time to mail it. The only one that came down to me seemed pretty old and looked half-dead actually. I think I have seen him delivering things to the Weasleys once or twice. He looked so eager to help me for some reason."

Hermione gasped softly, and then looked sad. "Errol died; there is no telling where your letter went. You're right, he was very old. On his last legs really, he probably passed on before he was able to deliver it. From what Hagrid said, it looked like he jumped out the window and found he couldn't fly. He crashed to the ground and broke his neck. If he was carrying a letter, it's probably somewhere in the forest, torn up by now by some animal and used for a nest. What did it say?"

Draco sighed softly. "It said that I was sorry, and that I would never tell anyone what he wrote to me about. I apologized for being scared to tell him who I was again. I've been waiting for him to write me back for a while now. I thought…"

Hermione nodded cutting him off. "I understand, Draco; it seems silly that you both have been sad for the same reason. I'll talk to Harry; you didn't by chance keep a copy of your letter did you?"

Draco blinked several times, and glared slightly at her. "Yes, I kept a copy... however, it's personal."

Hermione laughed softly. "I won't read it, Malfoy; I just want to give it to Harry. I think it will help him to believe that you actually still like him."

Draco stood quietly pondering that statement. _'Do I still like Harry that way? Yes, I think I do, but what about Anton? Oh, who cares? Who knows if Anton will ever even tell me who he is? Wouldn't it be better to be with someone that I know, than someone who wants to keep secrets? I mean, I understand why he wants to keep the secret... however, why can't he just tell me? What is he afraid of? Maybe he doesn't look as good under that charm. What if he thinks that I wouldn't like him the way he really is? Wouldn't it be better if I just tried it with Harry,_ than _deal with someone that may or may not actually like me that way? I mean, Anton has never said that he liked me more than a band mate and friend. I know he said he was gay, but he could like brunettes or something,_ right _? I might not even be his type. Oh, who am I kidding, Anton might be interesting, but I have liked Harry for a long time. Maybe Anton just reminded me of Harry, and that was why I was developing feelings for him.'_

As Draco stood pondering Hermione's previous statement, she stood in front of him becoming agitated. Hermione had been trying to get his attention for the last five minutes. Finally, she grabbed his arm, and waved a hand in front of his face. "Malfoy, are you there? You look a million miles away."

Draco, startled out of his thoughts, blinked at Hermione as she released him. "Oh, sorry, Granger, I was just thinking about something. I'll copy the letter tonight before dinner and give it to you later."

Hermione nodded. "All right. I'll see you tonight, then."

"All right, see you later, Granger,” Draco replied.

As Draco started to walk away, Hermione called out to him. "Oh, by the way, Malfoy... I'll help you with your band; send me the details when you get a chance."

Draco smiled. "Great, I am glad that we could come to an understanding and work together. I don't think that you will regret it, Granger."

Hermione nodded and smiled at him. "Hopefully not."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that evening, Draco slipped Hermione the letter, along with the band details, and she grinned widely. _'If things worked out for him, Harry might consent to a date during the next Hogsmeade weekend,_ after _my concert.’_ Draco reflected.

As Hermione walked towards the Great Hall, she was glad that she had talked to Malfoy now; perhaps Harry would finally be happy if she could just convince Harry that Draco meant what he said.

After dinner was finished, Hermione pulled Harry aside and gave him two letters from Draco. Hermione wasn't sure what the contents were, but she hoped that it would ease Harry's heartache.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry looked down at the letters warily. Hermione had told Harry about the letters earlier in the evening, and he wasn't sure what to do now. He had never thought to even ask Draco if he had written him again. In the band room, Harry had a box that held rough drafts of letters that he never sent... now Harry felt guilty. Deciding to tough it out, Harry opened the newer letter first.

>   
> _Dear Harry,_
> 
> _I have enclosed the copy of the letter that I wrote the night after our meeting. I made myself another copy just to be on the safe side. I guess that you could call that night a disaster. I should have expected you to run out on me, but I had hoped that you wouldn't. I want to apologize again for not telling you who I was from the start, but as I asked Granger... If I had written you and signed my name to the bottom, would you have written back? As I predicted, she said no. So you now have the reason I didn't sign my name._
> 
> _I hope that once you read the other letter that you will consent to meet me the next Hogsmeade weekend after my concert. Perhaps it will coincide with your plans._
> 
> _I miss you, Harry._
> 
> _Draco_   
> 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_'He missed me.’_ Harry sighed. _'I missed his letters,_ too _; luckily I got to see him on a regular basis at band practice. I can't believe that Draco asked me on a date...'_ Harry thought.

Unfolding the older piece of parchment, it was creased and worn, as if it had been read several times. Harry supposed that Draco had re-read what he had written several times to figure out why Harry had never written back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

>   
> _Dear Harry,_
> 
> _Yes, it's a mundane greeting. After last night, I figure that addressing you the way I normally do would be unwelcome. Harry, I know that last night didn't turn out quite the way we hoped it would. I had hoped that by the time that we met, that you would like me for who I was on the inside. I really do like you Harry, and it hurt when you ran away. However, I guess I deserve it in some ways. We haven't exactly been friends for the last seven years, and after you sent the letter about our first meetings, I think I finally understood why you turned down my friendship for Weasley's._
> 
> _I guess I was so used to my name getting me somewhere. I don’t think it even occurred to me that you didn't even know who the Malfoys were. In the end, I suppose it was a good thing that you did reject my friendship. If you were my friend the entire time, and Voldemort decided to force me to bring you to him, it probably would have killed me._
> 
> _Please,_ let’s _try this again, Harry. I promise that I will never use anything that you have ever written against you, or anything you write in the future. Can we please go back to at least writing each other until you feel comfortable meeting with me again in person? You don't know how much your trust and friendship has meant to me this year. I hope that we can still become friends, if nothing else. I would be upset if I lost contact with you completely._
> 
> _Draco_   
> 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sighed as he took out his writing materials. It was time to start his correspondence up again. Harry was afraid if he met Draco as himself often enough, he would cave in, and tell Draco all about Anton. Harry just wasn't ready to do that yet. When he had finished the letter, he rolled up the parchment, and called for Arrow. When the bird arrived, he took the letter in his beak, but not before nipping at Harry affectionately. It seemed that the bird missed Harry as much as his owner did. Draco had been using the Malfoy owl to send all the band correspondence, so it was no wonder why Harry never caught on that Draco had two owls at school.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several minutes later, Draco was roused out of his homework to the portrait over the mantle opening and his owl landing on the chair next to him. Taking the parchment out of his beak, Draco blinked, noticing Harry's handwriting. _'Hopefully this is good news. I don't know if I could take any bad news.’ Draco_ thought _._

>   
> _Dear Draco,_
> 
> _It feels strange calling you that, as I am so used to calling you Caesius. I guess I am still in shock that you would want to ever have anything to do with me. I have seen you every day of every school year for seven years, and yet you still confuse me. This year has been full of contradictions and hurt feelings. I started to write you many times… so many times. However, I just couldn't send them. It hurt every time I would see you so sad, and I knew that I was the cause. There were so many times that I wished I could take away the pain, but I just can't right now._
> 
> _You asked if we could write again in your letters, and I think that it would be best for now,_ if _we started that again. I don't know if it would be a good idea to meet out in the open right now; we both have people after us that definitely want us dead. Having us both in the same place probably wouldn't be a good idea at the moment. Professor Dumbledore is extremely worried about my safety, and has made me promise to stick near the castle, anyway._
> 
> _So, with that said, how is your life going? I haven't been updated on it in quite awhile, and would like to know what is going on with you. I know that your band is doing well; I was surprised when Hermione told me she would be helping you out with it. I am very happy that you have buried the hatchet with both of my friends. It makes anything that may happen between us a lot easier._
> 
> _Harry_   
> 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco sat staring at the letter for several moments. Harry was right; they did both have people after them. It seemed in the midst of the band's success, he had forgotten that Professor Snape was always shadowing him and the band. It was easy to forget when the screaming crowds were begging for more.

_'I'll just have to begin writing him again, and perhaps I can convince him to meet me sometime soon.'_ thought Draco.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next night as Harry waited for a shower to be free; he stood pacing for several minutes trying to decide what to do about Draco and Anton. Draco had come to band practice so excited tonight. He was clearly happy that Harry was writing him again, that he wondered just how long he could keep the secret safe. Harry had to sneak the box of letters out of his case in the band room so that he could send them to Draco. He figured he would only send the complete ones; it would be silly to send half thought out letters that he had written in sorrow or anger.

After his shower, Harry flopped tiredly onto his bed. Most of his roommates were already asleep, so they didn’t have a chance to question the late hour that Harry made it back. Draco was frantic in the preparations for their next concert. Harry suddenly began to wonder if he was so frantic because he was still hoping that Harry would show up as himself at the concert, or if he had some sort of plans to get them signed. Before Harry knew it, his eyes drooped and he fell into a semi-restless sleep.

_The dream started out normal, not even giving a hint of things to come. Though, after several minutes had passed, the dream took a violent turn for the worse. Harry was running down the halls of Hogwarts, crying out Draco’s name. It only took several seconds to realize that he wasn’t Harry, but Anton, when he passed a mirror in the hallway._

_Startled, Harry almost ran into a body on the floor in front of the Great Hall. It was the body of Draco Malfoy, who looked badly injured and in need of a healer. The young man seemed barely alive, and was whispering a name, Harry’s name. Quickly cancelling the charm on himself, Harry knelt next to Draco who gasped in shock, stuttering Harry’s name before he passed out._

_It was several days before Draco awoke and Harry learned what had happened, but by that time, Draco wouldn’t even talk to him anymore. Draco was upset that Harry hadn’t trusted him once he came clean to tell him who he was, and effectively kicked Harry out of the band. It was later that Professor Dumbledore told Harry that Voldemort had some of his followers in the castle beat Draco up and left him for Harry to find. Voldemort had learned that Draco was in love with Harry, and left a message pinned to Draco’s robes. “Next time,_ I _will have them kill him.”_

Harry awoke from his dream in a cold sweat. Harry knew that it was just a horrible nightmare, but he was even more determined to keep his secret safe now. Draco couldn’t know who he was, and if he wanted to keep Draco alive, he would have to learn how to protect all their correspondence. He wouldn’t let Draco get hurt because of him. The next morning when he had a break between classes, he would go to the library to find some spells to protect their letters… and Draco.


	5. It takes more than the written word

Harry and Draco had been writing again for a month before Harry realised that he was slowly falling in love with the new Draco. The problem was, at least in his mind, that even if he did come clean about whom Anton was, Draco might never trust him again. Hermione tried everything she could think of to convince Harry that he hadn't really lied about who he was to Draco, and though he might be initially upset, that he wouldn't stay upset long. Harry knew that no matter how much Draco had changed, he still had a temper, and he didn't want to cross it for a while.

The war outside was getting worse and all trips to Hogsmeade were cancelled. This, of course, left the band without a venue to play. Professor Dumbledore had decided, after much persuasion, to throw a ball for the Yule, and had told the group they could play. Therefore, the excited group tried to learn a few wizarding carols as well as a few Muggle ones in order to play that night.

The letters between Harry and Draco seemed almost desperate at times. They were both hunted men, and Harry had even tried to convince Draco that if Voldemort ever found out that he was talking to Harry, that he would probably kidnap him to lure Harry to him. Draco always scoffed at this in his next letter. Draco figured that as much as he was always sending out letters, that someone had to have informed Voldemort by now. This, of course, meant that since he was still here, he would be okay.

Harry was hard pressed to agree with Draco's assumptions, but it didn't do any good to tell Draco anything that he didn't want to hear. Harry had even tried to talk Draco into a much more private way of communication, but Draco seemed to like the way they were currently conversing and wouldn't hear of it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Days before the concert, there was a short, slightly heated discussion taking place in the band's practice room. Anton had mentioned that the band would be on stage a good majority of the time, and he didn't think he would be taking a date to the ball. He went on to say that by the time they got finished playing, they would be too tired to devote too much time to keeping a date happy, along with the fact that they wouldn't be around much of the ball due to them being on stage, it just didn't feel practical. After all was said and done, the group, as a whole, decided that they would all go without dates.

Harry was silently relieved that the band had come to this decision. Harry was already worrying that since he would have to change back and forth between his two personalities that he might get one or the other confused. There were only a handful of people that knew about his real personality, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for them to stumble in the wrong direction.

When Draco wrote to Harry to tell him that the band wasn't taking dates, he just sent a letter back telling him that he was planning to go stag anyway. He certainly didn't want to bring another girl; he had a horrible time of it last time when they had a ball. In fact, Harry even told Draco that if he hadn't been forced to take a date the first time, he probably wouldn't have, as his first choice was already taken.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The concert was a day away and Harry was in a panic. He still hadn't quite figured out how to get out of staying around as Anton very long. Obviously, Draco would want to spend time with Harry if he could, and if Harry had to continue to pose as Anton, then Draco would probably get suspicious.

In desperation, Harry wrote the Weasley twins, and told him that he had to be in two places at once, and wanted anything to help him. Luckily, for Harry, the twins just happened to be in Hogsmeade that morning, and were able to send off their new invention right away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was excited when the morning owls flew into the Great Hall and a package was tied to Hedwig's leg. He quickly pocketed the package in his pack and headed towards his secret passage to read the enclosed letter.  


> Harry,
> 
> You are the first to receive our new invention: Weasley's Persona Gum. This gum works just like a Polyjuice potion, except it lasts much longer than an hour. As long as you chew the gum, you will remain in the form that you have chosen. All you have to do is take a piece of your hair, and place it on top of the gum. Then say the words: Mutare Persona. The gum will then change the chewer into you. After awhile the gum does lose its flavour, so it is best to have several pieces available to the person taking your place.
> 
> Your Devoted Servants,
> 
> Gred and Forge

Harry grinned; now he just needed to talk Ron into being him for the first half of the concert.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As the end of the day rolled around, Harry felt slightly disturbed that it hadn't taken much convincing to talk Ron into being Harry for part of the ball. It almost made Harry feel used, as if Ron had been planning this all along and was just waiting for Harry to ask. Of course, Harry shook that idea out of his head as nonsense.

"Thanks, Ron, I appreciate your sacrifice. We will probably need to let Hermione in on the secret so she can help cover if anyone asks where you are. Fred and George said the gum was something you could chew for a while and then stop chewing it, reverting to yourself, or vice versa. I think that we should make five pieces or so, just in case. I probably need to see if it can do a few of Anton as well. That way, if you think someone is getting suspicious about where you are, you can run into the passage by the Great Hall, and revert back and then come back in for a bit."

Ron nodded, looking far too excited for Harry's taste.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The day of the concert went quite well for the students of Hogwarts. It was actually quite quiet for winter break, and since most stayed, the majority of the students slept in and got dressed for the ball at a leisurely pace. Harry had to practice several clothes Transfiguration Charms since he couldn't be seen in the same clothes as Anton. It was then that Harry realised that the same problem was going to happen to Ron and Harry began to panic again. Luckily for Harry, Hermione had already thought of that problem and was practicing several spells to turn Ron's new blue robes into a nice green for when he was Harry.

Since the group was performing, it was impractical to wear dress robes, so they stored them in the teachers' lounge next to the Great Hall to change into later. Harry made sure to take note of what Ron's green robe looked like to make a copy for later.

As the day drew closer to the concert, Harry began to get slightly nervous. This was the first time in a long time that Harry had to be seen in two places at once, and he wasn't looking forward to it. Harry was so sure that he would screw up something, but he didn't want to dwell on the negative aspects of the night.

Luckily, Harry would be staying most of the night as Anton, and Ron was walking around talking to people occasionally to pass as Harry. When the first song of the night began to play, Harry just focused on the music and nothing else. It definitely helped to calm his nerves. Draco had written a new song, called _Crash and Burn_. Once the first few bars began to play, Harry noticed that Draco was looking right at Ron, who was currently disguised as Harry. The meaning behind the song suddenly made sense, Draco wrote it for Harry. It wasn't for the first time that Harry thought that Draco's voice was what an angel might sound like.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
When darkness is upon your door  
And you feel like you can't take anymore

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump, I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone

When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find  
You're caught in a one-way street  
With the monsters in your head  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face the day

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump, I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone

And there has always been heartache and pain  
And when it's over you'll breathe again  
You'll breathe again

When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please  
To tame your wild, wild heart

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone

After the song was over, the group sang several Christmas related songs, which were a big hit. Later, the group sang a few more of their own songs, mixing them in between the more traditional songs of the season. Overall, the entire concert was going quite well. The audience seemed to enjoy all their new material, as well as the old favourites; it made the band very happy over all. By the time that the concert was ending, Anton noticed that Ron had slipped out with Hermione and returned to his normal self. Anton just hoped that Ron hadn't remarked on anything that he would have to explain later. The group started up another one of Anton's songs, _"Help Me"._

I wish I could define  
All the thoughts that crossed my mind  
They seem too big for me to choose  
I don't know which ones to lose  
When I'm falling down so far  
I think I'll never see your light  
Bouncing off of me  
Shining down here from your eyes

Help me  
Figure out the difference  
Between right and wrong  
Weak and strong  
Day and night  
Where I belong and  
Help me  
Make the right decisions  
Know which way to turn  
Lessons to learn  
And just what my purpose is here

It's like I got the signals crossed  
With messages I can't decode  
Half asleep, never wide awake  
And I'm in complete overload  
I got so much information here  
And nothing I can really grasp  
I should know the truth  
But I'm too afraid, so I have to ask

Help me  
Figure out the difference  
Between right and wrong  
Weak and strong  
Day and night  
Where I belong and  
Help me  
Make the right decisions  
Know which way to turn  
Lessons to learn  
And just what my purpose is here

Wanna know you  
More than anything  
I need you  
In my every dream, you're there for me  
Do you love me?  
For who I am, no angel  
Just an ordinary man

Help me figure out why I'm stuck in the middle  
Trying to understand why I can't  
Why you're such a riddle  
Got my eyes crossed  
I'm thinking so hard and I know I'm missing the mark  
Can you help me sort out  
All this information  
I'm just rackin' my brain,  
Paying attention  
But I'm still lost  
And at all costs  
I gotta know (gotta know, oh o)

Help me  
Figure out the difference  
Between right and wrong  
Weak and strong  
Day and night  
Where I belong and  
Help me  
Make the right decisions  
Know which way to turn  
Lessons to learn  
And just what my purpose is here

Help me figure out why I'm stuck in the middle  
Trying to understand why I can't  
Why you're such a riddle  
Got my eyes crossed  
I'm thinking so hard and I know I'm missing the mark  
Can you help me sort out  
All this information  
I'm just rackin' my brain, baby  
Paying attention  
But I'm still lost  
And at all costs  
I gotta know

As the song ended, Anton stood thinking for a moment about the concert so far. Overall, Anton and Draco had shared the lead vocal position. Draco had mentioned several times that a good group leader knew when they couldn't sing a song properly, and had to let others have the limelight. Harry took this as a good sign that Draco was indeed changing, because when in the last six years had Draco ever really shared anything? As the concert wound down to the last two songs, Harry started singing the group's latest song; _When the Children Cry_ , the lyrics pouring out of his soul like rain.

Little child, dry your crying eyes  
How can I explain the fear you feel inside?  
Cause you were born into this evil world  
Where man is killing man and no one knows just why  
What have we become? Just look what we have done  
All that we destroyed you must build again

When the children cry let them know we tried  
Cause when the children sing then the new world begins

Little child you must show the way  
To a better day for all the young  
Cause you were born for the world to see  
That we all can live with love and peace  
No more Death Eaters and all the wars will end  
One united world under Merlin

When the children cry let them know we tried  
Cause when the children sing, then the new world begins

Draco grinned as he started his guitar solo; it was moments like this that the young blond enjoyed. The spotlight was on him, illuminating his pale complexion and hair. It really was one of the best parts of the sad song in his opinion. However, as Draco thought about it, the song was more than appropriate for the times that were all around them.  
  
  
  
What have we become? Just look what we have done  
All that we destroyed you must build again  
No more Death Eaters and all the wars will end  
One united world under Merlin  
When the children cry let them know we tried  
When the children fight let them know it ain't right  
When the children pray let them know the way  
Cause when the children sing then the new world begins

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As the applause died down, the group finished up with a couple of traditional carols that were happier than their previous songs, and ended the concert portion of the ball. The group all tiredly walked down the stairs and into the staff lounge where they collapsed with a collective sigh into several of the plush chairs that surrounded the fireplace.

Anton, seeing his chance to get out of his predicament easily, let out a long-suffering sigh, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the chair. "I don't know about you guys, but I think I could go to sleep right now and not wake up until the holidays are over."

Blaise groaned, and laughed softly. "Me too, mate. I don't know if I want to even get out of this chair. Why is it that the teachers get such comfy chairs?"

Anton opened his eyes, looked over at the plush green chair, and chuckled. "No telling, really. Perhaps they deserve it after putting up with us in classes all the time."

Draco snorted and huffed softly. "Not like we ever actually see you in classes. I have been fending off questions for a while now about why no one ever sees you around school. There are quite a few guys and girls that would love to catch you outside a concert."

Anton blinked several times and looked over at Draco. "Really? I guess I have been a bit too preoccupied to notice. I am usually walking around trying to think of lyrics for a new song, when I'm not doing homework and stuff."

Draco smirked at Anton. "Well, guess we need to open your eyes a bit then. Do you not notice the sighs and lustful stares while you are performing? Are you daft or are you so into the zone that you don't notice anything but the music?"

Anton frowned slightly, trying to recall the looks on the crowd's faces as he sung. "I guess I must have been in the zone. About the only thing I look at the audience for most of the time is to find out if they liked the song."

Wayne, who was quiet up until this point smiled over at Anton. "Anton, just because you don't notice your adoring fans, don't mean that the rest of us are blind. We are probably popular mainly because of you. I mean you're mysterious, you are only seen at concerts and practice. There is a huge betting pool going around on your identity even. If you do end up telling the world who you really are, I am sure you will make someone a very rich person," he said with a laugh.

Anton looked at Wayne with a stunned expression. "The students are gambling on my identity? Why in the world does it matter so much who I really am?"

Wayne shrugged. "Well, you could be anyone really. People love to place wagers on things around here, especially in Slytherin. Their pool of money, I think, is biggest of any of the houses, or so I have been told by Blaise."

Anton looked over at Blaise. "Just how much money is riding on who I am and who's winning?"

"Well, it's up to a hundred Galleons at the moment. The leaders in the pool have narrowed it down to seventh year Gryffindors, and one even bet on Ravenclaw. However, the one that made the bet for Ravenclaw withdrew his bet because he figured that no one in Ravenclaw would be in a band during a NEWT year," said Blaise as he began to laugh.

Anton frowned at Blaise. "I can't believe that people are wasting their money on a stupid wager. I suspect quite a few of them don't have a lot of money to begin with and are going to end up losing it."

Blaise snorted. "Well, someone has to win sooner or later, unless you never plan on telling anyone who you are, and then you are right, everyone would be wasting their money."

Anton sighed. "I actually never planned on telling anyone. I mean what happens if I don't tell anyone for several years? Who is pocketing all the money?"

Draco smiled. "Well, actually there is a term limit on it. If no one at all finds out who you are by the end of the school year, all the money is returned. Once we get out in the world, I am sure a new one will start up, but at least most of the kids will get their money back. If you can hold out and not screw up for the next six months that is."

Anton laughed softly. "Well, that shouldn't be too hard if someone doesn't sneak up on me when I am changing."

When Anton finished speaking, Draco suddenly had an idea. He could sneak up on Anton, and find out who he was. He just had to time it properly to get into the band room early and surprise him. Though, as Draco thought about it, he had been trying to catch Anton for weeks now and nothing seemed to be working. Draco was sure that Anton had some kind of charm on the room to identify the occupants of the room before entering. It was actually unnerving that Anton was so Slytherin like.

Though, Draco knew that the seventh-years in Slytherin that had any sort of talent were in the band so it didn't make any sense. Of course, intellectually, Draco knew that each person had the potential to be in more than one house at Hogwarts. He just didn't know what to think of someone who was so Slytherin in another house; it just didn't sit well with him. After a few more moments pondering, Draco stood and strode gracefully to the door and opened it. "Well, I suppose we should make an appearance at the dance. I mean it wouldn't do to ignore our fans."

The group nodded and followed Draco out the door, Anton following up the rear, making sure that his "other" self wasn't running around somewhere before he disappeared to change clothes and personas. Just as Anton passed the punch bowl, his arse was grabbed suddenly, which made the cool, calm, and collected Slytherin mask drop. Anton swung around quickly in an impressive swirl that even Snape would be proud of, drew up into a defensive stance, and glared at the offending person with his wand raised in the air.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" Anton hissed. "Don't you know that it is not a good idea to sneak up on people? What if I had hurt you?"

Anton's attacker gulped audibly and stuttered. "I.... I'm so sorry! I didn't think."

Anton's glare lessoned considerably. "I noticed that. The next time you grab someone's arse without permission, you better be prepared to be hexed."

After Anton's groper scurried away, Anton sighed. _'What does it take to get rid of that kid? I mean come on, he invades my privacy as Harry Potter, and now he runs after me grabbing my arse as Anton! Well, perhaps this time I scared him senseless, and he won't ever do anything like that again.'_

Looking around for Draco, Anton spotted him across the room making a beeline towards Harry's look alike; he quickly had to rush into action. Anton reached in his pocket, took out the old DA coin, and set it to buzz Ron. A few moments later Ron jumped slightly, and looked around to spot Draco heading his way. Ron suddenly became panicky and asked Hermione to distract Draco with band business. A moment later, Ron slipped out the hallway and into the loo. Quickly spitting out the gum, and reciting the incantation quietly, Ron became himself again. He waited for a few more minutes until he heard the door open, and the stall next to him open and close. Ron stood there nervously, hoping Draco hadn't followed him into the loo, and peered at the floor between the stalls, seeing part of Harry's costume from the show and relaxed.

"Harry?" Ron asked tentatively.

"Ron? Are you okay now?" Harry knew that he couldn't ask Ron if he was back to normal in case anyone was eavesdropping.

"Right as rain, Harry," Ron replied.

Harry quickly fixed his attire to the outfit that Ron had been wearing just a short while ago and stepped out of the stall. "When you are done, come on out, Ron. I will be looking for you in the hall."

"Right Harry..." Ron spoke, a little sad that his fun was over.

Harry walked into the Great Hall and looked around for Draco, who was keeping Hermione company. Harry slid up next to Hermione; he grinned at her. "Thanks for keeping Draco occupied for me, Hermione. I really had to use the loo."

Hermione tilted her head slightly and nodded. "No problem, Harry. I will just leave you two alone now. Have fun..."

Draco nodded. "We can talk later, Granger…I mean Hermione. I do have some new band ideas I would like to go over with you later. Though it won't be tomorrow, since we have band practice; I can possibly make it Sunday afternoon, if that is all right?"

Hermione smiled, so pleased to see the new and improved Harry was rubbing off on Draco. "Sure, just owl me a time and a place and I will be there." Hermione quickly turned around, not waiting for an answer and left the two alone. Harry noticed a moment later that she must have spotted Ron coming in the Great Hall because she hurried over towards him.

 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco smiled, realizing he was relatively alone with Harry. That is, if you didn't count the whole Hogwarts student body that was milling around talking and dancing around the room. Draco swept into an elegant bow and grinned at Harry. "Would you care to dance, Harry?"

Harry blushed slightly; he hadn't done much of this kind of dancing since fourth year, and he was actually afraid he might step on Draco's feet. "I'd love to, but you might want to keep your feet away from mine. The last time I did any dancing of this kind was the last Yule ball, and I wasn't the best at it."

Draco smirked. "Don't worry, Harry. Ballroom dancing is one of the things that Malfoys are taught from birth. If anyone can teach you how to dance, it's me. You just have to let me lead. You can do that, can't you, Harry?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Sure, I think I can do that. It might take some getting used to."

Draco took Harry's hand and led him to the dance floor, and began teaching Harry how to dance. It took a bit, and a few hurt toes, but eventually, Draco and Harry were dancing across the floor gathering attention from everywhere. It had slowly begun to be common knowledge that Draco didn't fight with any of the Golden Trio anymore, and of course, the school knew that Hermione Granger was the band's manager, so this shouldn't have surprised them. However, it did; even a very embarrassed Colin Creevey, who had earlier grabbed Anton's arse, flushed bright red, and began mumbling about how he just "knew" that Harry liked guys a long time ago, and no one believed him.

Harry and Draco danced for a while longer, not even realizing that they were being watched. After the last song of the dance ended, they quickly got some punch and joined the throng of students going back to their houses.

_'All and all, the evening was a complete success,'_ thought Albus Dumbledore. _'I wonder how long those two will take to get together now. They looked so nice together dancing. I just hope that Harry doesn't ruin it by keeping Draco in the dark about who he really is for too long.'_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Before everyone knew, it was Christmas morning. Harry had actually ended up calling the band together the night before to give them the presents he had bought. They all promised not to open them until the next morning, so each of them carried a small bundle of presents back to their dorm. Harry had ended up getting Draco two sets of gifts, one from Harry, and one from Anton. After the rest of the band left, Harry had snuck down to the kitchen and asked Dobby to deliver the present to Draco. Before Harry could depart, however, Dobby informed him that he had a present for Harry from Master Draco. Harry found it funny that Draco had thought of the same thing to do that he had.

Harry had gotten his bandmatesband mates custom chess sets that changed colour depending on the house that the person was in. Draco, of course, ended up with a nice dragon set; Blaise got a Merlin chess set featuring dragons, knights, castles, and everything. Wayne ended up getting a lovely phoenix set that had red and black phoenixes as chess pieces. Getting everyone chess sets was one of the more obvious gifts in Harry's mind, because it always seemed like someone wanted to play chess. While he was out purchasing things, he thought about getting Ron a new chess set as well that had a lovely set of lions, however, Harry decided against it in the end and bought a plain chess set that had red and gold pieces. It wasn't as fancy, but it wouldn't look like Anton had bought Ron Weasley a chess set.

Draco had actually gone overboard for his Christmas presents to his band mates by buying everyone brand new instruments. Harry's new guitar even had strings that didn't break so Harry didn't have to buy new strings when he played a little too hard at a concert. Harry thought it was a brilliant, though expensive present. It almost made his chess sets feel a bit cheap. However, Harry reasoned that the chess sets were more personalized than new instruments.

Harry had agonized over Draco's gift for a long time before deciding on a beautiful mahogany box that had a very detailed hand-carved wooden dragon on top. Harry had even asked Hermione to help him on some charms so that it would only open for Harry or Draco. The box itself was considered lucky, and was crafted by artisans in the village of Ban Thai in Northern Thailand. He also purchased another hand-carved Chinese dragon from the same source that was quite different than anything Harry had seen. Harry had even found a spell to make the dragon move around and sleep in a limited space. Harry hoped that Draco liked them.

Christmas day went quickly for Harry, who had received more presents than he ever had before. He got some sweets from Ron, Blaise, and Wayne. Hermione got him several books on protection spells, defensive magic, and general household charms. Harry figured that the protection spells book might be the first one to read, due to Harry and Draco's budding relationship.

Harry was actually surprised to receive a gift from his former professor, Remus Lupin. It was a book on Animagus training. It wasn't just any book however; it was the very book that his father and his friends had used during their Hogwarts years. Harry almost cried when he opened it and saw his father's and Sirius' handwriting. It was the best gift that Harry had ever received.

Harry had decided to leave Draco's present for last since Dobby was delivering several presents last night. Harry had told Dobby to place Draco's present under the tree and it seemed to be missing. Disappointed, Harry went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, wondering what was going on. Did Draco decide that he didn't like him anymore? Did he not like his gift and got Dobby to go get the one he sent? Harry suddenly didn't feel very Christmassy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Harry got down to the Great Hall, Draco seemed to be nowhere to be found. Just as he sat down, Hedwig swooped down and dropped a letter from her beak into Harry's waiting hands. Sighing softly, Harry opened the letter and noticed it was Draco's handwriting.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

>   
>  Dearest Harry,
> 
> After you have eaten breakfast, meet me in the Room of Requirement. I have decided to give you your gifts in person, so I asked Dobby to return them to me. I think you will love them.
> 
> Draco  
> 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry quickly ate breakfast and hurried to the Room of Requirement. The inside was decorated with a huge Christmas tree, with dozens of twinkling fairy lights. The room had a warm and cosy fire burning, with several cups of what looked like hot chocolate. Harry smiled. It seemed that Draco was just being romantic, a much better thought than the ones he had coming down stairs to breakfast. Draco was sprawled out on the couch in front of the fire, looking extremely pleased with himself. Harry suddenly wondered just how long Draco had known about this room.

"Hello, Draco," said Harry.

Draco smiled as he stood up and crossed over towards Harry. Taking his hand in his own, he led Harry over to the couch and told him to sit down. Moving over to the tree, Draco brought back a very large thin package. Harry took the present and slowly began to open it. As the frame was revealed, Harry suddenly thought that Draco had gotten him a picture of himself, which seemed a bit conceited. However, Harry was very wrong; the picture was not of Draco at all. It was a portrait of James, Lily, Remus, and Sirius. Lily was cuddling baby Harry in her arms, and all of them were waving happily at Harry. Harry was shocked, and looked to Draco for an explanation.

Draco took Harry's hand in his again, letting his thumb draw small comforting circles on the back as he began to speak. "Mum and Sirius were actually close when they were growing up; when I told her that I was kind of dating you, she told me that she had something that she was sure that you would like. She pulled out a chest and gave me an old photograph; she said that it was taken shortly after you were born. I researched in the library for a way to make it bigger, and oddly enough, that creepy Creevey was the one that was the most help. I asked him if he knew a way to make a picture portrait-sized, and he pointed me to the right book."

Harry chuckled at that; he often thought that Colin was creepy, especially after he had grabbed Anton's arse after the concert for the ball. Harry was still glaring at Colin off and on for that little stunt. In fact, now that Harry thought about it, the whole thing seemed a little odd. Colin, though he was a bit obsessed with Harry, had never seemed overly touchy feely. He snapped tons of photos, sure, and they were mostly of him, but to just wander up to someone he didn't know and grab their arse?

_'Hmm, perhaps I should have a little talk with Colin soon,'_ Harry thought.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he pulled Draco into a hug. "Thank you, Draco, I absolutely love it. I don't really have any place to hang it, so I guess I will have to shrink it and put it in my trunk until I can find a place to hang it."

Draco smirked. "No need, Harry, just spell it to hang above your bed. I doubt anyone would care, I mean with all the posters around on the walls, it will look much better than them."

Harry smiled and nodded. "True, Ron has the Canons pictures all over the place. You should see his room; it looks like an orange blew up in there."

Draco laughed. "That does sound like him. My room, I am sure, is much more tasteful. It was professionally decorated several years ago as a birthday present. It's about the only room in the house that I don't have to worry about breaking some expensive family heirloom or something."

Harry looked at Draco, confused. "Why would you worry about breaking something in your room? You aren't by any means clumsy."

Draco blushed. "Well, the house-elves have a bad habit of surprising me. I had one especially clumsy house-elf once, who actually raised me. Mother was always yelling at him because he kept breaking expensive things. Around second year though, father came home and said that he would not be returning. He mumbled something about you and disappeared. It took me several months to realise where he went. I was kind of glad that he had more people to take care of, though he is a bit daft."

Harry laughed. "You are talking about Dobby, and to be honest, it was my fault. Your father kept beating him up right in front of me, kicking him around, and I couldn't stand it. So I tricked your father into giving him clothes."

Draco laughed, and then frowned slightly. "Father was so mad; he actually left me alone for several weeks after that. However, he was very upset that he had to get a new house-elf. They are rather expensive, after all."

"Well, Dobby is happy, and of course, Hermione is happy that at least one house-elf is happy being free," Harry said as he nodded.

Draco snickered. "Yes, she does have some odd ideas sometimes. She still doesn't realize how insulted the house-elves were with her little campaign. That, and the only person that can free a house-elf is their owner, which would be the current Headmaster. Therefore, her whole campaign on freeing them with knitted things wouldn't have helped. I mean they do our laundry, after all; if it were that easy to free a house-elf, Hogwarts wouldn't have any."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed, as he looked confused and thoughtful. "You know, I never thought of it that way. I guess that is why they need to do some sort of class on wizarding traditions and information, so that people that were raised by Muggles don't waste their energy on lost causes."

Draco suddenly looked thoughtful. "That is a very good idea. Perhaps we could bring it up to Dumbledore, you know, for an after-school kind of club or something."

Harry smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."

Draco nodded and sat pondering for a moment before remembering Harry's other present. "Oh, I have one more thing for you. I was actually glad you got me two presents, which I really loved, by the way. I have never seen anything like them before."

Harry blushed and smiled. "Well, I know it was a little play off your name, and I am sure that most people do that, but I saw them and I thought they were unique enough to be different."

Draco grinned and handed Harry the other box. "I know that we are probably a little old for it, it may be a little girlish, but I saw these in a little shop I was passing and I thought you might like it."

Harry opened up the large box and there were several furry objects inside. Slowly sticking his hand inside, he pulled out a large black dog that looked remarkably like Sirius's Animagus form, and a white deer that looked remarkably like Harry's Patronus. Harry blushed, clutched the stuffed animals to his chest, and let out a soft sob. Harry had never had a teddy bear or anything growing up. Whenever he tried to grab one of Dudley's old ones, he would tear it to pieces and dump it in the trash.

Draco was unsure what to make of Harry's reaction to the stuffed animals. Harry looked like he was about to cry; perhaps it was a bad idea. Draco made a gesture towards the animals and tried to make light of the situation. "Well, I ... if you don't like them, Harry, I can take them back."

Harry blinked and turned to stare at Draco with a confused expression on his face. "Draco... I love them." Harry stuttered embarrassedly, "I... I... never had any stuffed animals when I was growing up. I was just the freak that got clothes hangers for presents and old clothes. I tried to grab one or two that Dudley had tossed out, but he always found them, beat me up, and then ripped them apart."

Draco reached over and took Harry's hand in his own, staring down at the young man that had captured his heart. Silently, Draco vowed that some day, those horrible Muggles would pay for the pain and misery that they had caused Harry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several days later, Harry arrived at breakfast just in time for the daily delivery of the _Daily Prophet_ to be thrust into his face and waved at him. Harry glared at Ron for just a moment before grabbing the newspaper and beginning to read the headline.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**FORMER MINISTER AND SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE MINISTER ARRESTED!**

**By Cornelia Sioners**

Several sources have come forward recently regarding the 1995-96 school year, and the treatment of the children that were attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, that has caused a large stir in the magical community.

Cornelius Fudge assigned Dolores Jane Umbridge, Former Special Assistant to the Minister of Magic, to the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when Headmaster Dumbledore was having trouble finding someone to fill the post due to suspected rumours of a curse on the position. Umbridge gradually took over the school, first becoming Hogwarts High Inquisitor and eventually becoming Headmistress. This probably would strike anyone as odd, especially considering Ms. Umbridge did not have any training in the field, and had no patience for children.

What the Minister was thinking about when hiring her has now become known. The Minster thought that Albus Dumbledore was plotting to take over the Ministry, and in a plot devised by himself and his assistant, they drove the Headmaster out of Hogwarts. They decided that they needed someone in Hogwarts that could be trusted to run the school properly.

During her time as a teacher at Hogwarts, she repeatedly belittled her students and those she felt were especially deserving were forced to write lines with was has now been identified as a Blood Quill. For those of you unfamiliar with what that is, it is a Dark Arts quill which, instead of using ink, uses the blood of whoever uses it and scratches whatever is written into the user's hand, which can lead to permanent scars if repeated enough times.

We at the _Daily Prophet_ are not sure what is more shocking, that a professor at the school had little or no training in the field they were teaching, or the fact that said professor was using the Dark Arts to punish the children in her care.

It also was revealed that Ms. Umbridge sent Dementors to harass Harry Potter the summer before his fifth year, trying to get Mr. Potter expelled from Hogwarts. When this plan didn't work, she subjected him to an entire year of writing of lines with his blood. When this was investigated under Veritaserum, it was determined that Ms. Umbridge was hopeful to be in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's service, and had used her pull at the Ministry to try to make an impression on You-Know-Who.

When investigators brought this information to the former Minster of Magic, he tried to appear shocked, as quoted by Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt:  
"He claimed that Ms. Umbridge had plenty of experience in the field she taught. Unfortunately for the former Minister, he couldn't tell us how he knew that she had these abilities. When we told the former Minister that she was only teaching theory in her classes, and insisted that the young children in her classes didn't need practical skills, the former Minister only nodded in agreement. It seems that this was an order by the Minister of Magic himself. He then went on to claim that he was doing it for the children's protection since they shouldn't be involved in the war that is now going on, and having these skills would only encourage them to get involved."

When Auror Shacklebolt informed the Minister that the war with You-Know-Who wasn't even going on at the time, due to the Ministry convincing the public that You-Know-Who hadn't returned, the Minister insisted that he meant the war between himself and Albus Dumbledore and by extension, Harry Potter.

Regardless of the former Minister's wild ramblings, Auror Shacklebolt insisted that Mr. Fudge was not entirely sane, and though they were prosecuting him, he would probably be confined to St. Mungo's for life.

The former Minister will be brought up on charges of hiring an unqualified professor for Hogwarts, allowing her to take over the school and allowing her to endanger the students of said institution. He will also be charged with taking bribes by former Ministry employee and convicted Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, and several other sources to look the other way when crimes were committed.

If the former Minister does prove to be sane enough to stand trial, he and Ms. Umbridge will be facing life in Azkaban.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry put the paper down for a few moments and let out a sigh. It really was for the best that those two were out of the way, but Harry still felt a bit guilty for turning over the evidence. Luckily for Harry, he had convinced the paper that he didn't want to get anywhere near that Skeeter woman, and would not give the report to anyone at all if she was in audience.

It was then that the editor of the _Daily Prophet_ told Harry that due to numerous complaints about her behaviour and her reporting style that she had been sacked several days before. It made Harry very happy to realise that he wouldn't have to be dealing with her in the future. The new reporter was much nicer and didn't try to twist his words around and make horrible comments about him while doing it.

Harry decided to play innocent since no one knew it was him that had ratted out the Minister, and started the even larger investigation by the new Minister and his office. The editor told the Minister that he could not reveal his sources, but they were definitely true and even showed the Minister a Pensieve memory of hands stained with blood as a young person wrote lines. Luckily, for Harry, he had actually gotten the memory from Fred and George. Their lines were incidentally, "I will not play pranks on my professors," though it was hard to read with all the blood.

Harry nodded to Ron and grinned. "Well, at least they won't be bothering us again, huh?"

Ron nodded and grinned back. "Yep, mate, at least the toad is getting what she deserves. Over half of the DA had lines of some sort carved into their hands because of her."

Harry nodded, looking over at Hermione who looked a bit disturbed. "Ron, did you say over half of the DA got lines from that woman?"

Ron nodded, pulling out his own hand, and using his wand, uncovered some sort of product covering his hand, which seemed to be some sort of wizarding scar makeup. The line clearly read, "I will not be friends with Harry Potter."

Hermione and Harry fumed, and Ron looked embarrassed. "She kept making me write it until my hand was so sore that I could barely write in class. She wanted me to stop being friends with Harry. She said that if everyone deserted you, that you would leave the wizarding world and never come back with your lies. Luckily, I was able to hide the scars with this stuff I found left in the common room after some of the girls had one of those makeover parties. I didn't want Harry to get even more hostile to the woman. I didn't want him to be expelled. Sorry, Harry, I didn't mean to keep it from you. I know how you hate having stuff kept from you for your own good, but I just couldn't tell you. Please don't be mad."

Harry nodded, still clearly upset. "Well, Ron, I was a bit moody that year, and I had a lot to deal with, so I guess I should forgive you and thank you for not letting me get expelled. I probably would have gone off the deep end if I had seen that line written on your hand."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figured. Luckily, I was able to get Ginny to show me how to use the stuff. The Glamour she tried on it wore off after awhile, and I needed something more lasting."

Harry nodded. "Well, did you try getting Madam Pomfrey to fix it?"

Ron shook his head. "No, Umbridge told me that it couldn't be healed. Guess we know why now."

Hermione shook her head. "Ron, don't you think that maybe she told you that so that you wouldn't try to get it healed? So perhaps that Harry would see it?"

Ron looked shocked and shook his head no slowly. "I didn't think of that. I guess we should both ask her after the trial. I mean we might be called on as witnesses. It would help to have them, just in case."

Harry and Hermione nodded, all agreeing with Ron.

_'The trial will be interesting,'_ Harry thought. _'I wonder what the public would think when they find out that their hero was hurt by that woman. It will be interesting to say the least. I think it's time to use some of this unwanted fame for something useful for a change.'_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author Notes:** Mutare Persona **=** Change Person

**Music Credits:**

1) Crash and Burn - Savage Garden  
2) Help Me - Nick Carter  
3) When the Children Cry - White Lion - Yes, I know that God was changed to Merlin, and presidents were changed to Death Eaters. Please forgive me, but I doubt that Harry would use either of those terms when he wrote a song. 


	6. Close Calls

Starting the week after the Yule concert, Draco was shadowing Anton so closely that there were several narrow escapes. Anton had told Draco several times to back off, but Draco seemed to think that he needed to know who Anton was, if no one else did. One afternoon, Draco had even caught Anton in the middle of the transformation; luckily, he could only see him from the back.

Needless to say, practice didn't last all that long that evening due to Anton being so furious at Draco that he could barely stand to be in the same room with him. This of course, wasn't good for the continued success of the band.

Draco's snooping went on for at least a week before Anton finally got so frustrated that he didn't go to band practice for several days. He told them that he had some important homework to do, but the entire band knew the real reason. When Anton finally decided to return to band practice, completing almost a week’s extra in homework, he almost spilled his secret on a whim to get Draco off his back.

Though he wanted desperately to tell Draco the truth, he didn't want Draco to find out this way. Considering Draco's current level of sneakiness, Harry was even more skittish about telling Draco about his real personality. He had started showing more and more of his personality in the letters and private conversations. So far, Draco had been quite receptive of Harry's personality, though only time would tell if he would realize that Anton's personality was very much like Harry's.

As Harry walked toward the band room, his coin vibrated and jumped in his pocket, alerting him to someone's presence in the band room. Sighing, Harry ducked into a side corridor, changed into Anton, and came out a different set of doors. After all, if someone was following him and Harry didn't reappear, someone might figure out his secret. After exiting, Anton quietly opened the door a crack, and stood outside the band room for a moment, listening to a song that Draco was playing. 

You think you know me...  
You don't know how wrong you are...  
You think you know me...  
Yet, all you see is the image of a star...  
You think you know me...  
Yet, you will never see my tears...  
You think you know me...  
But you don't know my fears...

 

You'll laugh... and won't believe me...  
You think you know me too well...  
You think you know me...  
When all you see is the image, I project...  
Yet, you would be surprised... what you see...  
Behind the masks...

 

Behind the masks, I am not so innocent.  
I have grown and aged more than you can tell  
By looking into my eyes  
You will see my old soul  
But you can't seem to believe that I am who I am  
And not the one that you see

 

In time, you may come to believe me...  
But I don't have that kind of time...  
We are at war again and I must join the fight  
To protect the world, the women, and the children  
And all my friends the same...

 

You think you know me...  
You don't know how wrong you are...  
You think you know me...  
Yet, all you see is the image of a star...  
You think you know me...  
Yet, you will never see my tears...  
You think you know me...  
But you don't know my fears...

 

You think you know me...  
When all you see is the image, I project...  
Yet, you would be surprised what you see...  
When you look behind the masks...

 

Harry stood stunned as the song finished; Draco had found another one of Harry's songs. It seemed that Harry had yet again forgotten to put up his folder of songs. Of course, with all the things that he had on his mind lately, it really wasn't surprising. Steeling his resolve and letting his calm collected mask slide into place, he entered the band room. Slipping behind Draco, he cleared his throat, startling the blond.

"Well, it seems that you have found another of my songs, Draco,” stated Anton.

"What? Oh, hello, Anton. Actually, it found me. I was sitting here waiting for the rest of the band, and it was on the floor next to my feet. I guess it must have dropped out of your folder." affirmed Draco.

Anton nodded. "I suppose that is possible."

Draco blinked up at Anton. "What? You don't believe me? What is it with you and trust?"

Anton sighed. "Well, considering the way you have been acting towards me lately? What do you expect, Draco? I mean I told you that I didn't want to tell anyone right now who I am, and instead of respecting my privacy, you have been following me around and hounding me. I am not sure if you are just trying to win the Slytherin betting pool, or something else. Regardless, it hurts my feelings that you can't wait until I am comfortable enough to tell you who I am."

Draco stood up quickly, looking quite offended. "Why in the world would I need more money, Anton? I have a vast fortune that is in my control now as Lord Malfoy. I don't need to win some silly bet. In fact, never mind. I think I will go back to my room; you three can practice without me."

Before Anton could say anything further, Draco was gone. Inwardly, Anton sighed, when Draco finally found out who he was, would he forgive him for trying to deceive him?  Anton sure hoped so. Anton knew that Draco didn’t really want to win the bet. However, Draco was getting so close to finding out who Anton really was that he just had to get Draco off the scent, and soon. Draco was just as smart as Hermione, so it was only a matter of time before Draco realized that Anton and Harry were hardly ever in the same room and Anton seemed to know way too much about Harry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Blaise and Wayne were so fed up with Draco and Anton fighting all the time that they almost quit the band. At this point, they were maybe practicing once a week, if at all. No songs were being written, though luckily they didn't really have anywhere to play currently either, so Blaise and Wayne got together to talk one afternoon.

"This has got to stop; Draco is trying to ruin the band. We have a good thing going here, and all he seems to do is write Harry and try to find out who Anton really is. Draco is obsessed, and not in a good way." complained Wayne.

Blaise nodded. "I agree. Draco is out of control. We must figure out a way to either get Anton to tell Draco who he is, or somehow make Draco see that what he is doing is going to destroy all our hard work."

Wayne shrugged. "Will that actually help? Draco can be very stubborn when he wants to be. I have never known two people more suited really. Are we really sure that Anton isn't a Slytherin?"

Blaise nodded. "Yeah, right after we started the band, we slipped a minor truth potion in the sixth and seventh year's drinks and asked all of them if they had secretly joined the band. All of them said no, but of course were curious as to why we wanted to know."

Wayne looked at Blaise shocked. "You used a truth potion? Isn't that illegal?"

Blaise chuckled. "Not really, it’s not the Ministry approved version. This is just a minor one. You can lie with it, but if you do, your face turns blue."

Wayne blinked before laughing hard. "Their face turns blue if they tell a lie, oh, that would be funny to see!"

The pair continued to talk until the Anton and Draco showed up for band practice several hours later.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a long talk with Wayne, Blaise, and Hermione about the state of the band, Draco grudgingly agreed to leave Anton alone with his secret. He was still curious, because he just knew that Anton was someone he knew. Regardless of his hunches, he finally decided that since Anton was the best thing to happen to the band, he had better start respecting his privacy. Even though Anton hadn't quit the band, he was still quite upset at Draco. Draco hadn't really apologised to him yet, which resulted in the band practices still being a little tense. Draco figured he would have to find some way of making up with Anton for the continued invasion of his privacy.

The last turning point in Draco’s change of heart was when Hermione read him the riot act the day she caught Draco trying to sneak up on Anton. It was then that Draco remembered that Hermione was not a woman to cross. He rubbed his cheek as he thought back to the year that she slapped the bloody hell out of him. At the time, Draco was tired of Hermione always beating him out for grades by one or two points, and being punished all summer for it.

Shortly after Hermione had joined the band as their manager, Draco sat Hermione down and explained his behaviour for most of his school career. It was safe to say that if Draco's father wasn't dead, that he would have died again just by the pure fury that was Hermione Granger when she was enraged. Her face turned so red, that Draco almost accused her of being a Weasley.

Regardless, it seemed that Anton was a tough nut to crack, and Draco wasn't sure what to think about him really. He seemed to value his privacy more than Harry did, which was saying something. Harry had put so many protection spells on the last few letters that he had written, Draco had a hard time getting into them, and they had been addressed to him. It had taken awhile, but Draco finally understood Harry's paranoid personality.

Harry had his parents, and his godfather taken away before he even really knew them. Then he was put in with those horrible Muggles. After piecing all of this together, Draco realized that Harry didn't want to lose anyone else. Harry was trying to be realistic, saying that it was war and many of his friends would probably be killed. However, if Harry could, he would try to save them all. It was one of the things that Draco loved about Harry; he had a need to save even those that didn't know they needed saving.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several days later, Professor Snape had held Harry back after class. He was looking slightly nervous, well, at least to Harry’s eyes. Harry couldn’t ever remember seeing Professor Snape looking so out of place. Regardless, he watched as his Professor slid a piece of parchment across Harry’s desk. He failed to notice Severus locked, warded, and put up a silencing charm on the door. Picking up the parchment, Harry started to read the contents of the paper. After several minutes, Harry looked up at his Professor, his mouth hanging open.

“Sir, did you write this?” Harry asked.

Severus nodded. “Yes, several years ago. What do you think?”

Harry grinned. “I love it; it’s definitely a song that I could see the band singing. Would you actually want credit? I didn’t even know that you had an interest in music really. Well, except what you mentioned about my mum.”

Severus shifted slightly under Harry’s questions. “I don’t suppose that you have to mention that I wrote it. I mean we wouldn’t want to scare the students.”

Harry chuckled softly. “Professor, if you would relax once in a while, people might actually not be so scared of you. I mean I understand why you are so strict when we are making potions, but when you are out of the classroom…”

Severus shook his head. “I do try to be civil when out of the classroom, but it is hard to be something I am not. When I first started teaching, I was a bit more relaxed, even tried to be friendly. As a direct result, several students often got hurt by ignoring my instructions. You can’t be lenient around students and teach.”

Harry looked puzzled for a moment. “Okay, I kind of understand that as I said before. Potions can be very volatile, but why do you have to take off so many points from Gryffindor all the time?”

“Mr. Potter, as the person that I am, as you know for a certain organisation, I am expected to act a certain way. I do admit that taking excessive points is extreme, but it is much better for that group to think that I am not betraying them. Besides, if I suddenly became nice, people would probably faint or have a heart attack.”

Harry chuckled. “Maybe, you never know until you try. Plus, as far as friends go, I know a certain person that would love for you to not be so strict and actually loosen up a bit.” Harry disclosed with a grin.

Severus looked puzzled. “What are you trying to say, Mr. Potter? Are you telling me that you know someone that wants to be my friend?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, though he pretty much figures that you would never talk to him anyway. I am actually sort of surprised that he forgave you several times for just being yourself.”

Severus hummed softly to himself. “I believe I have an idea who you are talking about. I would rather not talk about him right now, perhaps another time. Anymore questions while I have you here? I can tell that there is a question you are burning to ask.”

“You know, I do have a question, Professor. Have you ever thought of having a class at the beginning of first year teaching the students brought up in the Muggle world about how to properly process potion ingredients and identify them? I mean all those questions you threw at me first year weren’t even fully covered until sixth year. I mean, yeah, Hermione knew the answer, but that’s just her.”

Severus nodded. “Well, yes, I did think about it once, but sadly, I found I don’t have the patience for that. Perhaps you know someone that might want to teach the class?”

Harry thought about it for a moment. “Well, I do know someone that has been thinking about becoming a Potions Master. She may be interested, though I would have to talk to her about the idea first. I initially discussed it with Draco, but unless the band falls apart, I don’t think Draco will be getting his potions license anytime soon. I was also talking to Draco about some extra classes for Muggle raised children. We talked about a class teaching them the traditions, laws, and things like that which may be really beneficial to them to properly fit into the wizarding world. I told him about how many things that he has mentioned to me that I didn’t know, and it was actually his idea.”

Severus let out what Harry could only surmise was a snort. “Really? It seems you have been a good influence on Mr. Malfoy. I suspect that it could only be your influence that led Malfoy to want to teach Muggle-borns our traditions.”

Harry chuckled softly, “Yeah, he probably wouldn’t have. I didn’t realize how much he had changed until just recently.”

Severus nodded. “Indeed. I thought it was quite interesting that you two had a dance during the ball. I can say I was rather shocked, though I should have guessed you two would become an item.”

Harry blushed slightly. “Well, yeah… we aren’t quite official yet, but we’re working on it.”

“Well, you should probably run along. Don’t want your little friends to think that you’ve been abducted by your greasy git of a Potions Professor.” smirked Severus.

Harry nodded, taking the parchment that Severus had given him and tucked it carefully in his bag. “Thanks for the song, Professor, I really appreciate it.”

Severus sniffed slightly. “It’s nothing, Mr. Potter. I will mention your ideas to the Headmaster; good day.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry woke the next morning clearly excited. It was Saturday, so of course, Harry was happy for that one thing alone, if there was no other reason. Grabbing his wand, Harry quickly got dressed and headed down to the band room. Taking Severus’s song out, he started to play. Yet, after running through it several times, Harry realized that it just didn’t fit in his vocal range well. In fact, it didn’t fit into Draco’s either, and Blaise and Wayne didn’t sing except for occasional backup. Harry was suddenly disappointed. He figured he probably could change some of the notes to be more in his range, but when he tried it, the song’s whole meaning seemed to change.

As Harry finished the last note, his coin vibrated and in walked Draco. Harry looked momentarily puzzled since he didn’t get much advanced warning this time. _‘Perhaps it was time to renew the spell…’_ Harry thought.

Draco walked into the room and had a seat next to Anton. Looking over the parchment, Draco noticed Professor Snape’s handwriting. Draco knew that his Professor had a secret love of music that most of Slytherin didn’t even know he had. He was, of course, privileged to know several secrets about his Professor. Though his Professor was a half-blood, his father had either not known, or he just didn’t care. Lucius and Severus were actually very good friends at one point in time. Of course, it helped that Severus carried himself as a pure-blood and knew their laws and traditions.

“So, Professor Snape slipped us a song, I see. I heard part of it as I came in; the music seemed a little off.” As Draco spoke, his face held a confused expression.

Anton nodded and replied, “Yeah, I was trying to fit it into our vocal ranges, but it just doesn’t work. It needs someone with a deeper voice.”

Draco agreed. The song needed its creator to sing it, which was the problem. Deciding to voice his opinion aloud, Draco smiled. “Well, that’s because it was made for his own voice. He sings quite well, you know.”

Harry looked shocked as he quickly turned to face Draco. “Snape can sing? Is he any good? I really want to do the song, but our voices are too far out of range, and I don’t think either of us would be able to voice that sorrow-filled quality that it needs.”

Draco grinned. “Oh yes, he has a wonderful deep, dark voice. I am sure you must have noticed his speaking voice by now, Anton. His singing voice has the same quality; deep, dark, and smoky rich. The students would want be all over him if he wasn’t wearing that glamour.”

As soon as he spoke, Draco realized his mistake. Only Severus’s extremely close friends knew that he wore a glamour all the time to cover up his looks. In fact, Severus probably could give that phoney Lockhart a run for his money in the looks department if he took off the glamour, though he could use a tan first. Thinking back, Draco had to chuckle to himself. It all started when Draco had wanted to go to Muggle London, blend in, and look around. Suddenly, Draco had felt a ripple of magic around him as Severus took off his glamour. At first, Draco thought that it was just a new look until he realized that the ripple of magic was missing. When questioned, his friend told Draco that this is what the real Severus Snape looked like.

Severus still had the same large Roman nose, though it was much straighter than its counterpart was. The hooknose was actually an old injury that his father had given him a year or so after he began school at Hogwarts. Since he was in the Muggle world at the time, his father didn’t get it treated properly, which resulted in a large bump and eventual hook to his nose. The rest of Severus had greatly improved after his nose was corrected. Many of his improvements happened when Severus had managed several years ago to invent a potion to fix broken and deformed body parts. . Severus had figured that the potion would really only fix his nose; the potion had a very unexpected side effect, which pleased Severus more than he thought it would. This meant that his nose, teeth, hair, and skin suddenly repaired itself, making Severus quite the handsome man. After much testing, he had realized that it was rather painful if you didn’t have the limb that needed to be re-grown, but it was probably better than someone accidentally removing your bone and having to re-grow it as several medi-witches and wizards would prescribe.

Once he had fixed his looks, he realized that since he had suddenly become very handsome, and that no one would pay attention to him in class, instead staring at him gobsmacked. So he had created an elaborate, exaggerated glamour to cover up his good looks. It wouldn’t do to have the school blown up by students who would do more harm than good with one extra turn of the ladle or extra ingredient.

The robes that Severus wore on a daily basis were a bit too prim and proper for an outing in Muggle London, so Draco had of course taken Severus shopping. However, it had been like fighting a starving animal over a piece of meat to get him to even agree. Severus was quite stubborn and when he didn’t want to do something, it took an act of Merlin to get him to change his mind. It was sad really, though once all was said and done; Draco realized that with Severus’s long legs, leather and jeans looked quite well on him.

Instead of falling into the middle-aged trap that many Muggles had, Severus had kept in shape. Of course, considering whom he worked for, he had to keep on his toes at all times. That called for quick reflexes and the grace of a cat. Which, considering how much his Professor stalked into rooms, it was no big surprise that Severus’s Animagus form was that of a black panther. Startling himself out of his thoughts, Draco looked over at Anton to see if he had caught the ending of the sentence and understood its meaning. Sadly, he realized that Anton had, because he was truly and well caught.

“Snape wears a glamour to change his appearance, too? I guess I should have suspected since I wear one, but I haven’t even felt the ripple of magic. For someone that doesn’t like foolish wand waving, he sure can create a glamour.” Anton commented with a laugh.

Draco almost laughed as well, but he screwed up his face into a serious mask instead. “Anton, you can’t tell anyone that he wears one. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”

Anton nodded. “No problem, I understand. We have a bit of an understanding really. We had an interesting little talk yesterday when he gave me the song.”

Draco gave Anton a curious look. “What are you trying to say exactly? Are you two friends or something?”

Anton laughed. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends. Though, I must say I am shocked to find out that he is a closet musician. If his appearance is better than his current one, he could always quit teaching and become a singer. Hey, I know! Why don’t we give him a chance to see how he likes it? We can tell him that we love the song and would love to perform it as a band, but we just can’t do the song justice and he will have to sing it himself!”

Draco nodded. “It may work, but no doubt it will take both of us to convince him. He is rather stubborn about certain things. He usually likes to practice his music in the privacy of his quarters.”

Anton nodded. “Well, we don’t have anything better to do at the moment. Let’s go see if we can find him?”

Draco laughed. “All right, he should be in his classroom grading papers.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Anton and Draco walked down a couple of flights of stairs before arriving at their destination. Knocking on the door, they heard a loud, “Enter!” from within the room. Pulling the door open, the pair made their way down the row of the desks, stopping before Severus’s desk. Waiting patiently as Severus continued to mark the paper with crimson ink, the look of disgust on the Professor’s face was quite telling of his current mood. He looked like he wanted to kill something, which led Draco to deduce that he must be doing first-years papers.

Clearing his throat softly, he smiled at his favourite Professor. “We can come back later if you are busy, Professor; we just wanted to talk to you for a moment.”

Severus shook his head and pushed the stack of parchments aside. “At this point, I think I would welcome a distraction. I really think it’s time to talk the board of governors into a separate teacher for the lower years for potions. I think they get even worse every year that I teach.”

Draco chuckled softly. “Precisely my point, though, do you really want to keep teaching after the war is over?”

Severus shrugged slightly. “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest. It all depends on if Potter can get the job done correctly, doesn’t it?”

Anton bristled slightly inwardly. A comment like this would have made the Harry of old burst out loudly in protest. However, the new and improved Harry put on a mask of indifference on his handsome features, he replied. “Perhaps if he had had a better set of Defence teachers over the years, he might be more prepared. I mean two decent teachers can’t really make up for the fact that they have so many years of work to catch up on does it?”

Severus nodded. “True, though it is hard to get decent teachers when after one year of teaching it, something happens to the teacher themselves. I think we have more than our share of possessed, incompetent, idiotic teachers to last us a lifetime.”

Anton let out a snort. “True, we have had a horrible set of teachers. Professor Lupin was probably the more decent one besides our current Professor. Though, I do have to say that even though the fake Moody was a lunatic, he did teach us quite a bit. Though, I often wonder how much of it I should try to remember.”

Severus agreed silently, at least Lupin cared about his students. It was really a shame that Lupin had to leave in the end. However, coming face to face with the werewolf that had almost killed him years ago had scared him shitless. After Severus had gone through so much trouble to adjust the WolfsbanePotion to help improve his ailments during the full moon, he had forgotten it. Though, after finally hearing the whole story several years later by Lupin’s own mouth, he supposed he couldn’t blame him. He was trying to save Potter after all.

“Nevertheless, I am sure that you didn’t come here to discuss the sorry state of academia at the school. To what do I owe the honour of your visit, gentlemen?” Severus asked; his right eyebrow arched slightly as he spoke.

“Well, it’s about the song you gave Anton…” Draco started, though was swiftly interrupted by Anton.

“Yeah, well, I tried to sing it earlier, even tried to put it in a different key…” blurted out Anton.

Draco scowled slightly at Anton, who had the grace to look somewhat sorry. “It won’t work with us singing it. Even changing the music wouldn’t help. We could make a good backup, but I doubt either of us could sing the lead.” 

Severus looked momentarily puzzled before the look completely disappeared. “Well, I am sorry to have wasted your time, then.”

Anton shook his head. “No sir! You didn’t waste our time at all. It’s a great song, but it needs its creator to sing it for us.”

Severus was thrown off balance with that comment. _‘They want me to sing a song with their band? This requires some careful questioning.’_ Severus thought.

“And why, pray tell, would you want your potions Professor scaring away all your groupies?” Severus stated as he chuckled inwardly at the confused expressions on the two young men’s faces.

Anton actually recovered quicker than Draco and smiled, “Well, they wouldn’t have to know it was their Professor would they? I mean, you could always get some different clothes, find a good glamour for yourself, and no one would have to know. We could even make up a name for you…”

Severus pondered the possibilities of having an anonymous hobby that didn’t include having to get hurt or injure someone. However, would the band’s normal fans accept another person that they had never seen before? “I must say that this has some shocking possibilities. It wouldn’t be too often, correct? I do have other duties besides teaching that might prevent me from always attending.”

Anton and Draco both nodded, before Anton continued speaking. “Like a guest star or something. When you aren’t busy and want to sing, you can just wait until the current song is over, step onto the stage, and we can let you sing the song.”

Severus sat in his chair, pondering the proposal; it did seem to be an appealing idea. However, Severus had learned long ago not to jump into decisions. “As captivating as it sounds, give me some time to consider it. It would take quite a bit of planning on my part to pull this off, and I feel that I must consider all the options first.”

Draco smiled, “Sure, Professor, please let us know what you decide. We would love to start practicing the song.”

Severus nodded and spoke. “I will let you know as soon as I have weighed the situation and given it considerable thought. Now, if you have nothing else, I do have marking to do.”

The pair spoke their goodbyes and left the Professor alone to his marking, leaving Severus with a lot on his mind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus sat behind his desk feeling a bit confused, a little flattered, and a tad apprehensive about going on stage in front of a large crowd. However, he had a feeling that with an adequate disguise that he should be able to pull it off. After all, he had been a spy for most of his life so far; he should be able to put on a musical performance.

Severus was definitely unhappy at his job. He had always wanted to do something else. At one time, he had wanted to teach Defence against the Dark Arts; however, he had since learned that he hated teaching. He didn’t exactly have an idea if he would even survive the war, though it would be nice to have other opportunities. Did he really want to make potions and teach dunderheads the rest of his life?

Not really shocking, but his answer was a resounding ‘no’. He had spent the last ten plus years hating teaching. However, Dumbledore was the only one that would hire him, he being a former Death Eater.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was sitting quietly at the Gryffindor table early the Friday morning when he received a letter. It was early even for Harry to be up, not to mention anyone else. He was actually mostly alone except for a few Ravenclaws that were studying at the table.

Removing the letter from the owl’s leg, he smiled as he noticed Draco’s handwriting. He had slowly forgiven Draco for all he had done to Anton, but he was still a little worried that Draco would one day figure it out and hate him for it. Pushing his normal thoughts aside, he opened the letter only to find out it was a letter to Harry not Anton.

> Dearest Harry,
> 
> How are you doing? I was wondering since we can't get out of the castle for a date, if we could perhaps use the Room of Requirement to create one. Let me know what you decide, since tomorrow is Saturday, I thought it would be a nice break from our regular studies and a chance to get to know each other in person.
> 
> Owl me back as soon as possible. Oh, and please dress nicely, I would love to see how you look all cleaned up. Please say yes.
> 
> Draco    

Harry grinned; Draco had asked him out on a date. Harry was excited at the prospect of being alone again with Draco without having to hide who he was. Sometimes Harry found it quite hard to control himself while he was Anton. You didn’t just turn off feelings like that and not expect consequences. He often had to make up some excuse to leave the room when Draco did something especially sexy or cute. It was all he could do to control jumping on the blond sometimes and kissing him senseless. Sometimes, those thoughts alone were almost enough to reveal who he was to Draco. However, he was sure that he would loose the band and Draco if he did, and sometimes, in his nightmares, he didn’t tell him, and Draco found out anyway and was really upset. Sometimes that old Muggle saying was true, “You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Blaise Zabini had a reputation of being somewhat of a player at Hogwarts, though one would never know by his attitude. Yes, Blaise had kissed a lot of people, male and female alike, but most of the gossip was made up by the people he had kissed in order to increase their own reputation. In fact, Blaise had barely slept with three people the entire time he had been at Hogwarts, though to hear the rumour mill tell it, he had dozens of conquests. Normally, Blaise ignored all the tales, but this one had not been a tale at all, but right from the person herself. Hermione Granger, Blaise’s secret passion, was finally unattached! Blaise rubbed his hands together in glee. Now, the only problem Blaise had was that it was more than likely that Hermione believed all the stories about him and wouldn’t give him a decent chance. Somehow, Blaise had to show Hermione that he was a good person, and not the playboy that everyone thought him to be.

Over the course of the last several weeks, the grapevine had almost no gossip on him at all except for the confused speculation of what was wrong with him. He was sure that Hermione had to have noticed, because she was even looking at him oddly during some of the band practices that she had attended. The rumours suggested that Blaise perhaps was finally in love and that was why he stopped kissing the population of Hogwarts. At least, for once, the gossipmongers were correct.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Song notes:**

Behind the Mask is by Dream Howler. The song is copyrighted by Dream Howler and may not be used for any purpose without express permission by Dream Howler.


	7. Exposed

During the last several band practices, Hermione become aware that she was being watched. Whoever it was, they were good at avoiding being caught, which narrowed it down to either Draco or Blaise. Considering Harry's relationship with Draco, she could only conclude that Blaise was looking at her. It could be argued that there was another person in the room, but she seriously doubted that Wayne could be sneaky enough not to be caught watching her. The only question was why Blaise was watching her. She certainly didn't match the description of any of his past interests. _‘Perhaps he needs some help in a class or something?’_ she thought.

When she first noticed that someone was watching her, she had wondered if someone had snuck into the room to watch the practice. The second time she felt it, she cast a revealing spell, and the only thing she noticed was that Harry's glamour was about to fail. She had to quickly catch his attention and give him a signal to go use the loo. Just as Harry reached the loo and slipped inside a cubicle, his glamour failed.

Harry was so happy with her warning that he had promised Hermione that whatever new book she wanted, just give him the title, and he would order it for her. He almost had his secret revealed right in front of the band, and was very grateful to his friend. That, of course, wouldn't be a good thing when the band was finally starting to get along again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco had decided that the time had come to refrain from buying his way into forgiveness. He had thought of getting Anton some gift, but the slightest mention of Draco using his money to try to make up for his slight stalking incident caused Anton to frown.

Finally, Draco had decided that the best thing he could do was write Anton a letter on parchment designed to make sure the writer told the truth.  He had originally thought about writing a song, but found it hard to write a song to apologize for what was technically stalking his fellow band mate.  Sitting down to write, he tried to convey his heartfelt apology.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall when Draco’s owl winged its way in his direction.  Quickly, Harry cast his eyes towards Draco and found that he was sitting with his back to Harry. Thanking Merlin, he quickly pulled the letter out of the owl’s grip, and hid it in his bag to read later.

That night, Harry pulled the curtains on his bed, and opened the letter.

> Dear Anton,
> 
> It is hard for me to express how sorry I am for invading your privacy.  I have no excuse for doing so, and I hope that in time you will forgive me. I have never been in this sort of position before; I was taught from a very early age that apologizing made one weak and brought one’s family shame. 
> 
> Sadly, up until this year I spent about 99% of my childhood totally controlled. Though my father loved me, he always expected perfection. He would often schedule times where he would tutor me in every topic that he thought would be acceptable. It didn’t really matter what I thought about the topic either. 
> 
> The first time I really stood up to my father was when I told him I was gay. He had just finished telling me about the great pure-blood witch that he had found for me to marry. I told him that I refused to marry some witch to produce an heir, and then cheat on her for the rest of our lives. Father even wanted to pick out both; he didn’t care if I actually loved the guy or not, he just wanted to make sure that the person would be discrete enough to be the “Malfoy Mistress.”
> 
> What was even worse is that he wanted the witch to agree that she wouldn’t have any relationships on the side, yet I was allowed to have them. I told him that it wasn’t fair that she had to give up the rest of her life married to a man that would only be with her once in the marriage, maybe twice if she wanted more than one child and never get to have sex again. 
> 
> Needless to say, I told him ‘No’. Anyway, I seem to have gotten off topic. What I was trying to say is that I am so very sorry for everything I did. I shouldn’t have tried to invade your privacy. I wasn’t being a very good friend, and I am ashamed of myself. I should have respected your wishes. 
> 
> I guess my only excuse is that with my father’s excessive control of my life, I decided not to let myself fall into that trap again. I guess that not knowing everything about you was sort of relinquishing that control I have been building for myself.
> 
> Please forgive me. 
> 
> Draco.  
> 

After Harry finished reading the letter, he realized that the paper was charmed to tell the truth. A smile lit up his face at the apology, yet the smile quickly became a frown when he remembered what lengths that Lucius Malfoy would go to in order to preserve his family’s pure-blood line.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus had been working on his new identity for over a week when he finally decided what he would look like. Once his disguise was complete, Severus had most of his normal looks without the Glamour; however, there were a few differences. First, Severus had changed his hair to a dark brown; he felt that it wasn't a good idea to change everything too much. Subtly was always the best way to hide, not like Harry's total change.

Severus changed his eye colour to a copper brown, which was close enough to his normal deep black eyes. He lengthened his hair to match his Head of House status. It didn't really matter that he wasn't a pure-blood, he was still the Head of his family. He then tied the hair back in a neat ponytail with a leather strap. He had to admit, he looked much better with long hair than his normal hairstyle.

Searching his closet, he pulled out a pair of black jeans that fit his figure like a glove. He was quite sure that no one would think that their professor would own such a thing. However, from living in the Muggle world for much of his childhood until his mother wised up and left his abusive father, he often carried clothing to blend in. He had acquired several new items of more formal Muggle clothes thanks to Draco's trip to London, but he felt that it wouldn't be a good idea to dress up when the band usually wore leather or jeans themselves. He took out a deep green silk shirt and slipped it on. Turning, he looked in the mirror and smiled a rare smile at himself.  It was nice to look less like the greasy git persona that everyone, including the Dark Lord saw every day.

Even with the help of his potion, his nose was still large, and might be recognizable. Therefore, he decided to make it smaller to make sure that no one would recognize him. Turning his head, he looked in the mirror again checking out his profile. _‘That will work nicely,’_ he thought to himself.

It took quite a bit of concentration to fool the Dark Lord that he was just an ugly greasy man with no hopes of attracting anyone. Normally, the Dark Lord, and even Dumbledore himself, could see through Glamours, but Severus was gifted with creating spells. He had created his own Glamour spell that was so concrete, that neither the Dark Lord nor Dumbledore had ever mentioned seeing through it; it even bypassed the normal cancellation spells. It was a work of genius, if he said so himself.

Just as he had finished his transformation, there was a knock on the door to his classroom. Casting a charm to reveal who was on the other side of the door, he relaxed when he saw it was just Anton and Draco. Cancelling the spell on the door, he unlocked the door and let the pair in the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Anton and Draco had received a summons from Professor Snape shortly after their last class of the day. They had actually arrived on time to meet their professor, and they both were anxious with anticipation. Would the professor even accept their proposition? They noticed he had been intrigued. Had he decided that he could pull off something like this?

Anton and Draco were still slightly apprehensive about the whole situation. Blaise and Wayne were understandably upset when they found out that they were bringing someone new into the band without asking them first. They were further concerned that they would have to be sworn to silence about his identity.

Anton and Draco had smirked at each other, and presented the pair with the song and told the identity of the writer was none other than Professor Snape. The duo laughed, and agreed that it would be a grand joke to make one of the rumours the school had circulated about Anton come true.

As they ntered the classroom, Anton stood at the door trying not to let his mouth gape open. _‘That can’t be Professor Snape can it?’_ Anton thought. _‘Merlin! Is that his normal looks or his Glamour? Wait, it can’t be his real looks; his hair and eyes are brown. However, if his real looks are anywhere close to this one, I can understand why he wears a Glamour now. He could make that fool Lockhart look ugly in comparison!’_

Severus didn’t get any taller, however, he looked more than a hundred percent better. His normally large nose was smaller and corrected quite nicely. His hair, which normally appeared quite greasy, fell in gentle waves down Severus’ back, tied with a strip of leather, and looked quite soft and manageable. Severus now sported clean, creamy skin that could rival Draco’s. In fact, Severus’ skin had improved so much, Anton was wondering how the Glamour was covering it. Anton himself had only changed his head in his Glamour; he couldn’t imagine the power it took maintain a full body Glamour all the time.

After several minutes of pondering why Severus had decided to put on his Glamour all the time, Anton had an epiphany. _‘Wait a minute! I understand now. He saw how the students acted around Lockhart, and he probably figured that if he tried to teach a class like that, there would be so many explosion’s that Neville’s past mistakes wouldn’t even cover one day. Of course, having students fawn all over him probably would make Severus queasy as well.’_

Severus stood silently observing the pair as they entered his classroom. Draco didn’t seem to be too surprised. Anton, on the other hand, was a different story. Normally, he couldn’t tell what kind of emotions Anton was experiencing these days, but today there was no way he could miss it. It caused him to chuckle to himself. Harry Potter found him attractive. He just knew that James Potter was rolling over in his grave right now.

Severus smirked at Anton and cleared his throat to stop Anton’s perusal of his body. “Well, I can tell from the look on Mr. Stryder’s face that my new looks are an accurate disguise. Do you think that anyone would associate my current looks with the greasy bat of the dungeons?”

Anton flushed slightly and looked at the ground as he muttered, “If they did, they probably would need their eyes checked.”

Severus chuckled softly, causing Anton to glance up at him quickly in shock. In all the years that Anton had known the man, he had never heard him laugh. It was quite an interesting sound, really; a bit throaty, even what could be called a purr, or so it seemed to Anton. As Anton turned towards Draco, he realized that hadn’t heard a real laugh out of Draco before either. Was it just a Slytherin thing to not laugh too often? Shrugging mentally, Anton looked up again at his professor. “I take it from your appearance that you have decided to take us up on our offer?”

Severus nodded. “As you said, I don’t want to have to teach for the rest of my life. Each year, I run out of patience for the students in my classes at an alarming rate. Once the Dark Lord is dead, I hope that I can pursue something else in my life. This would give me an opportunity to do something different. I can always make potions for a research company, but it would be nice to do something that won’t require me to report to a boss. I have been writing songs since I was a small boy; it is a waste that I don’t share them with the world.”

Anton nodded, understanding completely. Harry still had yet to ask Professor Snape to train him to defeat Voldemort. He was positive that the sorry excuses for Defence teachers throughout his seven years at Hogwarts hadn’t prepared him for anything. Without training, there was no way he would stand a chance against a wizard more than five times his age, with even more times the experience.

Harry had also not found any powers that matched the prophecy that Professor Dumbledore told him about. He certainly didn’t know if Professor Dumbledore was right about love being a power Voldemort knew not. It just didn’t make sense. How could you kill someone with love? Sure, Dumbledore knew Tom in school, but surely there had to have been someone that Tom loved in his life.

Of course, considering the Horcruxes, perhaps it wasn’t possible that love could even happen with several parts of your soul stored all over the place. On the other hand, he supposed it was possible that Tom loved someone before he tore apart his soul. Maybe losing his love was what tipped the scales, though wouldn’t Dumbledore have mentioned it? _‘Perhaps not,’_ Anton thought.

Coming out of his reverie, he realized that Draco and Professor Snape were having a conversation without him.

“I just don’t think that name suits you, sir. Perhaps you should just pick one name like the ones some of the Muggle singers do? What do you think, Anton?”

Anton blinked in confusion. “I didn’t hear the choices, sorry; I was a little deep in thought.”

Draco harrumphed. “Well, I hope it was inspiration for a new song, and not some random thoughts about Professor Snape.”

Anton looked at Draco, startled. “What? What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying that the only thing I could possibly have on my mind is either the Professor’s looks or the band? Because I have to tell you, other things out there are important too. Oh, and by the way, why do I hear jealousy in your voice?”

Draco flushed, which caused Anton to smile inwardly. Draco was quite cute when he was blushing. It was something that Anton found infinitely attractive, especially since it didn’t happen very often.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I… never mind. I know there are other things to think about,” Draco stuttered, embarrassed.

Anton continued blinking at Draco with a confused look. Draco had sounded jealous of Anton’s comments and glances at Professor Snape. Did he somehow suspect that Anton was Harry? If he suspected, how long would it take before Draco confronted him and kicked him out of his life. Anton doubted that, by now, Draco could afford to kick him out of the band, though, the charade had gone on long enough. The time had come to tell Draco the truth. Anton just hoped that he would survive the experience intact.

“We should probably allow the Professor to pick his own name. It is his life after all,” Harry commented.

Severus nodded. “Well, I had first thought of Raven, which sounded suitable at the time. However, I have learned recently of a Seer in the Americas that has that name, and I believe she also sings in the Muggle world. It wouldn’t do to take someone’s name like that. So recommendations are appreciated.”

“Well, we will come up with something soon. No reason to decide this minute. We don’t want to make a snap decision now and have you regretting it later.” Anton replied.

Severus nodded. “Very true.  It is never advisable to make snap decisions if one can help it. Well, I think that concludes this meeting for the moment. When is your next practice? I will see if I can make it.”

“It’s Sunday afternoon at four, unless something happens,” Draco answered.

Severus nodded. “I think I might be able to make that, problems aside. Have good evening gentlemen.”

Draco and Anton nodded and started walking towards the door to leave. Both of them were wondering how their own Saturday would go.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Between Dumbledore, Harry, and Snape, they had destroyed five of the seven Horcruxes. Hufflepuff’s cup had been hidden in Gringotts in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault. When Voldemort was planning the final battle, he decided that it would be a good idea to check up on his Horcruxes. It was most logical to check on the most secure object, Hufflepuff’s cup, first.

** FLASH BACK **

Severus had just reached the entrance to the main sitting room where Voldemort normally held court for his minions in Malfoy Manor. Inside, he heard Voldemort hissing to his favoured servant Bellatrix Lestrange.

“Bella, I want you to go to your vault and bring me the object that I left in your keeping many years ago,” hissed Voldemort.

“Yes, my Lord. I will bring it back as soon as possible.” Bellatrix simpered.

As Bellatrix headed towards the door, Severus hurried back down the hallway, and turned around quickly. Once Bella exited the chamber, Snape made it look like he had just arrived. She gave him an odd look, but hurried past him as Severus went in to give his report.

After giving his report, he hurried to Gringotts just in time to see Bellatrix exit the bank. Looking around, he noticed that no one was really looking at him, so he quickly cast a Confundus Charm, and watched her turn into a dark alleyway. Once he had her there, he quickly knocked her out with a spell and grabbed the cup. Once he had it in his possession and realized that it was a Horcrux, he made a duplicate of the cup, and put in her hands.

To make sure he wasn’t seen, he Disillusioned himself, and revived her. Once she stood and gathered her wits about her, he Obliviated her, and planted a new memory of her exiting the bank with the cup.

After she left the alleyway, fake cup in hand, Severus made his way to Hogwarts to hand over the genuine cup to Dumbledore. An hour later, Severus was summoned to a Death Eater meeting where Bellatrix was Cruciated for her failures. By the time Voldemort was finished, she had several serious injuries, including several broken ribs that he ordered to heal without magic for losing the real cup.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry found Ravenclaw’s diadem coincidently enough, at Hogwarts. From its location in the pile of junk in the Room of Requirement, it had been in residence at Hogwarts since Dumbledore denied Tom a job at Hogwarts. Harry had received a message from Dumbledore that there was a Horcrux at Hogwarts. Later, Harry deduced that he had to ask the Room of Requirement for the room where everything that was lost could be found. Needless to say, the room needed some serious housecleaning.

After searching for quite some time, Harry and Ron found the diadem, and used the Room of Requirement to help him destroy it. Hermione had deduced that Fiendfyre would be a last resort to get rid of the object, but they to be especially careful and only use it sparingly, however, the spell got a little out of control, and it consumed most of the storage area. Luckily, Harry and Ron escaped with their lives.

The most intriguing part of the whole situation was that, after the diadem was destroyed, Dumbledore told Harry that the curse on the Defence position appeared to have been broken.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry wasn’t sure what would happen with the other two Horcruxes. He figured that he would have to probably find them by without his mentor’s help. He knew that one of them had to be Voldemort’s snake, Nagini, but he would probably have to get Professor Snape’s help to tackle that task. Dumbledore told him just last week that the school would have to hire several new teachers. Professor Dumbledore was stepping down as soon as they found a replacement Transfiguration Professor.

Since the incident with Gaunt’s ring, Dumbledore’s health had steadily gone down hill. Professor Snape was trying his hardest to keep him alive with potions, but the headmaster’s magic was draining slowly. Soon, the Professor would be a squib and later die, most likely before the end of the year. When the Board of Governors heard about his health, they had reluctantly recommended that the professor retire due to health reasons. He had agreed, against his better judgment. It was a sad day for Hogwarts. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Saturday morning arrived bright and early, Harry severely lacking in sleep. Harry tried several times to go back to sleep after his roommates had woken him up for the third time, even when he threw pillows at them to keep quiet. Finally, after all of them went down to breakfast, was Harry able to take a nap. He thought after seven years sleeping in a dorm with four other boys that he would get used to all the snoring and noises his roommates made. However, that wasn’t the case, as the roommates seemed to get worse with every passing year. It almost made him miss the quietness of his cupboard under the stairs; almost, but not quite.

When Harry awoke several hours later it was time to get up, take a shower, and get dressed for his date. Nervously, Harry had dressed in a nice pair of slacks, and a blue silk shirt that Hermione said made his eyes sparkle with flecks of blue. Harry still felt a bit uncomfortable with silk after years of wearing hand me downs for most of his life. He was happy, that he finally had some clothes that fit.

Hermione, once she had found out all his sizes, randomly purchased clothes on his behalf. He had an extensive wardrobe these days, though he didn’t always wear them because it was a bit impractical to dress in most of the clothes every day.

He looked in the bottom of his wardrobe, found some nice ankle boots, and pulled them on. He walked to the bathroom and applied the hair spell that he found in the book that he normally used as Anton to tame his wild hair. He lengthened it slightly, and gave it a more tussled look that looked like he had just had a great shag, and not its normal rat’s nest.  Overall, Harry thought he looked quite nice. Hopefully, Draco would appreciate the effort.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco was in the Room of Requirement setting up the romantic dinner that he had planned. He had called one of his house-elves from the Manor to Hogwarts to fix the dinner. He had selected a creamy chicken alfredo, a small dinner salad, and a strawberry cheesecake for desert.

Harry had mentioned several times that the few times that it was one of his favourite dishes. Draco hadn’t had the dish in quite awhile, but he decided that he would get his elf to make it because he wanted Harry to be happy.

Mipsey had also brought along a pitcher of pumpkin juice and several Butterbeers for them to drink.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry arrived on time to the Room of Requirement, which surprised Draco, though he didn’t say anything to Harry. Draco grinned down at Harry; being able to treat Harry like he was royalty felt good somehow, knowing that Harry grew up mistreated and alone.

Harry was extremely happy once he realized the lengths Draco went to make sure he had a good time. The only downside was that all this might be for nothing when he told Draco the truth about his alternate personality.

Determined to have a good time despite the bomb that he would drop later, he began talking to Draco about things they hadn’t discussed in their letters. It was interesting to find out that Draco liked cats. His mother had several, and he had always grown up with them. Harry thought it was interesting, mainly because quite a bit of Draco’s movements were graceful like a cat’s.

After dinner, Draco asked Harry if he wanted to walk around the lake for a while, so the pair exited the castle, talking about nonsense things along the way. Harry had decided during dinner that afterwards, he would tell Draco. When Draco had asked Harry to walk around the lake, he decided to ask Draco back to the Room of Requirement and tell him then.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry and Draco were walking around the lake, quietly soaking up the atmosphere when Harry began humming softly. It took Draco several minutes to realize that Harry was humming the song that he and Anton had been writing yesterday. Suddenly, Draco stopped walking, and let go of Harry’s hand.

Startled, Harry looked at Draco. “Draco, are you okay?” he asked, looking concerned.

“Sure, Harry, I am entirely fine. Though, could you explain to me why you were humming the song that Anton and I were writing yesterday?”

Harry blinked, and suddenly realized what he did. “I can explain, Draco, really.”

Draco crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the ground. “I am waiting, Harry, were you spying on us? You know, you could have asked to come to practice. You didn’t have to follow us, Harry.”

“I didn’t follow you, Draco,” Harry replied.

“Then what? The only way you could have heard that song was if you were in the room with us. The door is soundproofed, so I doubt you could have been walking by and heard it,” Draco responded.

“I think we should go back to the Room of Requirement to finish this conversation. People have ears, and someone might overhear our conversation. I don’t think you really want to discuss this here.”

Draco glared slightly at Harry. “All right, but I want an explanation when we get there.”

Harry nodded. “I promise you will get an explanation when we get there.”

Harry and Draco walked back to the Room of Requirement in silence. Draco was trying to figure out how Harry had heard the song. Harry had said that he hadn’t been spying on the band, which left only a few very small possibilities. It occurred to Draco that there were many eerie coincidences that surrounded the band’s lead singer. _‘Was it possible that Anton had recorded the song, and Harry had just overheard it?’_ Draco thought.

Draco was jolted out of his thoughts when the pair approached the Room of Requirement. They walked inside, and Harry cast a Silencing Spell on the door before turning towards Draco.

Draco stood silently as Harry warded the door, his arms crossed, and unapproachable. “Well, explain then. I have an idea, I just want the truth.”

Harry nodded. “I doubt you will like the truth, but I did promise you. I just hope you won’t be too upset with me.”

Draco blinked and looked at Harry confused. “Well, get on with it, Harry. I am quickly running out of patience.”

Harry nodded and sighed. “I am not spying on the band, Draco, because I am in the band. You can’t exactly spy on something that you are in.”

“You’re Anton? That’s not possible! I have seen you two together. You can’t be in two places at the same time.” Draco sputtered.

Harry shrugged. “Ever heard of Polyjuice, Draco? It was Ron, pretending to be me so no one would question why I wasn’t there. I tried to get one of the professors to give me a detention, but none of them were willing.”

“This is some sort of trick, you just can’t be Anton. You just overheard Anton playing the song or something. You and Anton are nothing alike!” Draco replied excitedly.

“It’s no trick, Draco. Tell me honestly, when you read Pawn, who did you think it was about?”

“You and maybe me?” he whispered softly. “Why in the world would you do this to me? Why didn’t you tell me that it was you? I would have understood, or at the very least given you the benefit of the doubt.”

Harry dropped down on the couch and rested his face in his hands. “Draco, I didn’t do anything to you or for you. I did it for me. Well, no, I take that back.  You were the reason I disguised myself. I joined the band before I knew you were writing me those letters, you know that. I almost thought about quitting after I found out. I couldn’t stand to see you so sad because of me. I was scared, all right? The great Harry Potter was scared because I… I…. was falling for Caesius and it turned out to be you, Draco.  Go ahead and laugh, kick me out of the band if you like, but it’s hard finding out you’re having feelings for someone that hated you for so long.”

Draco sighed, as he sat down on the couch next to Harry. “Harry, I never really hated you, I was just mad that you rejected me. Do you really think I would have written to you for most of this year if I did? I even told you that in that letter after you ran off from me.”

Harry nodded. "Remember, Draco, I didn't get that letter until much later."

“I know, Harry,” replied Draco.

Harry sighed again. “I’m sorry, Draco. I am glad that you eventually sent it to me but, though I knew you liked me, I was afraid. I have been disguising myself this whole time, and technically when we started to date, I thought if you knew it was me that you would kick me out of the band and break up with me.”

Draco shook his head. “Even if you had come as yourself, you would have stood a great chance, Harry. You’re talented, you write great songs, I…”

Harry shook his head. “I didn’t know that, Draco. I knew you were being nice to me, but how was I to know you would have accepted me into your band? If I told everyone I was in the band, sure, it would probably make it a bit famous… but I wouldn’t get to be me. This is something I love doing, something I am good at… something that doesn’t link me to the war. I can’t tell anyone else, Draco… you have no idea how happy just being someone else makes me.”

Draco smiled slightly. “Of course I know how you feel, Harry. Remember, we discussed your fame, and all this kind of thing in your letters. Do you really think I would tell anyone?”

Harry blushed and looked down at the floor quietly. “I didn’t quit the band because I wanted to get to know you, the new you, without you knowing. I guess you could say ‘turnabout is fair play’, but I did eventually plan on telling you, though I hoped it could wait for a bit. I was actually going to tell you tonight, even though I figured that you might kick me out, and all my happiness would be ruined.”

“You know, I should have known it was you, really. I had suspected that you were either the same person or good friends. Guess I now know why,” said Draco. “If you will excuse me, I think I need to get back to my dorm. I need to think about this. Goodnight Harry,” Draco said hurriedly. He turned and walked away before Harry even got a chance to respond.

Harry stood staring after Draco for a good five minutes before he realized that Draco had left him alone because he had screwed up. The song that he and Draco had written was stuck in his head for several days, waiting to be finished, and it seemed that he had actually started to hum the song aloud, which Draco heard. Could this day get any worse?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As Draco walked back to his dorm, his mind was swirling with thoughts about Harry. In some ways, he had the right to be mad, but in others, Harry had only followed Draco’s previous example. However, it could be argued that Harry hadn’t known it was Draco’s footsteps that he was following. The point was simply, how could he justify being mad that Harry had lied to him, when he had done the same thing to Harry? At this point, it might be better to sleep on the question instead of making hasty decisions like a typical Gryffindor.

The problem was that he understood that Harry probably had more than a few good reasons for hiding his appearance. The thing that cut deep was he didn’t know which Harry was real. Was he the playful, soulful Anton, or the Golden Boy that most saw? Harry had insisted that he was both, but had more of Anton’s personality than Harry’s. He had to admit that Anton’s personality was preferable to Harry’s in some ways, though.

Anton’s main personality was actually rather laid back. He didn’t seem to stress about things, and was quite observant of his surroundings. It made Draco wonder if he had been like this all along and was hiding it, or if something had happened to change him. The only thing he did know is that he had been attracted to Anton since he first saw him, so if Harry’s personality were more like Anton’s, then Draco would be a very happy man.

Once the war was over, Harry really wouldn’t have to be himself anymore. He could just become Anton, and not have to worry about his fame or anything else if he didn’t want to. Draco just had to make sure that Harry survived to live out the dream. This would require him to ask his mentor for help, which at this time, he was certain he would receive; he just had to figure out how to ask.


	8. Courtships, Sirens, and Dreams

Harry stood still for several moments as he stared at the door that Draco just closed. After a number of minutes had passed, Harry fell back onto the couch the room had provided and sighed wearily.

‘Well, that wasn’t quite how I pictured _that_ ending,’ Harry thought to himself.

After several minutes, Harry got off the couch and decided to head back to his dorm. He was unsure what to do about the situation. Draco had looked shocked and slightly upset, but he hadn’t told Harry that he never wanted to see him again, so there was still hope.

After so many years of having Draco blow up at him he was unprepared for the calm, thoughtful Draco that had just walked out of the door. He knew that people grew up, but he had, for some reason, pictured a louder response. Not that he was complaining; it probably meant that Draco just needed to think about the situation and come up with a solution. Harry just hoped that Draco wouldn’t decide to stop dating him; he wasn’t quite sure how he would take it.

Harry tossed and turned that night, a fitful sleep at best. Waking up an hour or two later, Harry decided that perhaps some warm milk and biscuits would be a good idea and called for Dobby. After a few minutes - Harry was afraid he would have to trudge all the way to the kitchens to get his snack - Dobby popped into existence on his bed.

“Harry Potter, sir! What can Dobby do for Mr Harry Potter?” Dobby grabbed the covers over Harry’s leg and hugged them close.

Harry sighed, “Dobby, could you perhaps get me a snack? Maybe some warm milk and biscuits? I am having problems sleeping.”

“Of course, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby is happy to be of service to such a great Wizard!” Dobby finally quit hugging Harry’s leg through the blankets and disappeared with a pop.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the kitchen, while Dobby was preparing Harry’s late night snack, Mipsey, Draco Malfoy’s elf, was in the kitchen as well, preparing her master’s normal late night snack. Mipsey and Dobby had the same mother, so they briefly chatted while the pair of them worked.

“Dobby, Master Draco is sad. I’s made a lovely dinner for him and Mr Potter, and he’s so sad,” Mipsey worriedly said.

Dobby glanced at his sister and nodded, “Mr Harry Potter is sad too, and can’t sleep. I’s not liking him sad. I’s wish that we could do something.” Dobby turned to get the freshly baked biscuits.

Mipsey nodded, more to herself than anything as Dobby currently had his back turned. She watched Dobby for a moment before pulling a vial from under her uniform and hurriedly pouring it into the drinks. Dobby would have no idea what he was delivering. Mipsey settled the snack on her master’s tray and popped out of the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dobby arrived shortly afterward and placed the tray on the bed. “Can Dobby be getting Mister Harry Potter anything else?”

“No thanks, Dobby, this is great. Thank you for the snack. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem, Harry Potter, sir. If you need anything else, you just call Dobby.”

Harry nodded, picking up a biscuit and beginning to eat it. Though he tried to settle down after his snack, he still tossed and turned for several more hours; then, suddenly, it was like a switch had been thrown, and Harry finally fell into a peaceful sleep.  Harry, of course, wasn’t quite prepared for the vivid scenes that would suddenly play out in his subconscious.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Harry awoke, he was puzzled to be in a room that he didn’t recognize. It was a nicely decorated room, with a tasteful colour palette of blues, greens, and silvers, and a sprinkling of black. The bed that he was lying on was covered in a set of silvery sheets and a beautiful coverlet of blues and silvers that felt like silk against his skin.

Harry, at this point, realized he was naked, which should have surprised him. However, he wasn’t sure what to think at the moment. _Have I been kidnapped?_ Harry thought to himself. He wasn’t even sure if he was even still at Hogwarts. The room wasn’t extremely large, though it was a nice size.

Across the room there were two doors -- one was clearly a door to the outside, and the other seemed to lead to another part of the room. Looking around, Harry spotted his wand; it felt like it belonged there. Puzzled, Harry snuck toward the door and pressed his ear to it.

Startled, Harry heard the sounds of a shower and decided to open the door to find out just whose room he was in. Harry actually forgot that he was naked as he slowly twisted the knob and opened the door a crack. Inside the room was rather steamy, but Harry could clearly see a slim, well-formed male figure in the shower.

As the door opened, the figure in the shower started. Carefully turning around to see who would dare intrude in his room, let alone his shower, he was startled to find Harry standing there naked, with a clearly confused look on his face. Grinning, he slowly pushed back the screen, which gave Harry an eyeful of a magnificently wet Draco Malfoy in all his glory.

Harry gasped, scanning Draco’s body up and down several times, noticeably soaking up every line and curve and the length of Draco’s hardening cock.

“Well, well, Harry, I certainly didn’t think I would find you naked in my room. I thought we had decided to let me think things over tonight, not have you in here trying to seduce me,” said Draco.

Harry blinked, lifting his eyes to Draco’s face once again. “What do you mean? _I_ woke up naked in your bed, not the other way around, Draco.” Harry tilted his head slightly, and Draco could tell that he had evidently jumped to an erroneous conclusion.

“I’m sorry, Harry, I have no idea why you’re here. Unless…” Draco trailed off, and then suddenly yelled for Mipsey.

Mipsey appeared moments later, startling Harry, who quickly tried to cover his body. The house-elf didn’t even look in his direction only having eyes for her Master. “I’s here, Master Malfoy. What can Mipsey do for you?”

Draco had to carefully choose his words. “Mipsey, did you put anything in our snacks or drinks tonight that shouldn’t have been there?”

Mipsey started looking a little frightened and shook her head frantically. “I’s sorry, Master! Please don’t punish Mipsey!”

Visibly annoyed, Draco calmed himself by taking a few deep breaths. “What was in it, Mipsey? Don’t leave out any details.”

Mipsey, obviously upset, fell to her knees and hugged her master’s leg, begging him not to hurt her as she told her tale. “I’s just wanting Master happy, so I’s put a potion in your milks. Until Master’s happy again, dream won’t end.”

"Mipsey, how could you use a Heart’s Ease Potion on us?” Draco exclaimed. “That potion can be dangerous if used at the wrong times! The dream won’t let us wake up until we have sex, but we have some differences to settle to make things right. How could you do this to us, Mipsey?”

Mipsey started tugging on her ears, sobbing out her apologies before disappearing with a pop, leaving the pair to decide what to do.

Draco sighed, “I am so sorry, Harry; we don’t really have a choice. If she had just used it on me, it wouldn’t have worked. However, because she involved the both of us we… Oh, Merlin, why did she do this? I have never hurt her like my father did! I protected her from him.” Draco sighed, grabbed a towel, and began drying himself off.

Harry stood silently, a dawning realization settling upon him. “I'm sorry, Draco, but you have to help me understand what's going on here, I don't know about these potions. If we are in a dream, how did the house-elf show up and why were you in the shower? If this is all just a dream, when we have sex will it have really happened? I still want to be with you, Draco. I want to have sex with you, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind for our first time. I had hoped we were something special. Your elf shouldn’t have used it without our consent.”

"Mipsey must have known that I was upset and wouldn’t let me be.”

Harry sighed softly, his voice sounding clearly ashamed. “I told you I was sorry, Draco.”

“It’s okay, Harry. There is nothing to worry about,” assured Draco.

"That's easy for you to say. Here I am again, just someone's tool to be manipulated, regardless of how I feel or what I want. You see why I needed to be Anton sometimes?"

Draco looked up into Harry’s jade coloured eyes, nodding. “I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted us to resolve things either, here we are. Let me at least explain a bit and try to help you understand what's happening. A person or house-elf that puts it in your food or drink has a short window of opportunity to appear to the subjects of the potion; it’s normally used by house-elves to repair marriages, since you can’t leave the dream until all parties are satisfied. It’s not widely used anymore, but my father and mother had it used on them several times.”

Draco continued, his face showing his amusement. “I think the magic brought you to me because you fell asleep before I did. I just got finished with some homework and was taking a shower. I am not sure why you appeared here naked, though I do admire the view,” he said as he winked at Harry, causing him to blush.

Stepping closer, Draco began towelling himself off again as he grinned at Harry. “Perhaps you had a fantasy about me involving the shower as well, which means it would have grabbed us while I was in the shower? Or perhaps you sleep nude? Regardless, I am certainty not complaining about your state of undress.”

Harry blushed again, looking down at the ground, ignoring the dream questions or his current nude status. “I can’t say I’m very happy being forced into this, but it’s not as if I don’t want to. I… just, well… That is to say… Will I…? I mean… That is to say… I….  Bloody hell, this is so embarrassing!” muttered Harry. “I’ve… well… never done this before. There hasn’t really been time for me to do much exploring the past several years, and…”

Draco caught Harry off guard by dropping the towel and pulling him into his arms to give him a gentle hug, which cut off Harry’s stuttering. He sighed softly, breathing in the wonderful smells that were all Draco. Inhaling deeply, Harry rested his head on Draco’s shoulder, and listening to Draco speak.

“It’s not real, Harry, it's just a dream. You may not even remember it when you wake up; it all depends on how much we consumed,” Draco whispered. “You will wake up feeling at peace with me and our situation.”

"So I'll wake up feeling at peace, and I'll technically still be a virgin, but nothing will really be resolved, will it? The issues that got us here won't really be addressed, and things will just come to a head later so we can have a bigger fight later on?"

Draco pulled Harry into him tighter, "Not exactly. We don't forget what happened in the past; the potion just takes the edge off our feelings and forces us to come to a positive agreement about things."

"A positive agreement? What the hell does that mean?" Harry asked.

"It means we have to agree to stay together as a couple. But, Harry, I just needed time to think things through; I wasn't going to break up with you, and I understand how you feel about being used and powerless over your own life. Knowing that you are Anton makes a lot of the lyrics really make sense. I was upset you didn't tell me earlier, but I understand what you were doing and why. I'd not be leaving you, even without the potion."

Harry sighed, "Well, you're right, I guess. It is what it is and we just have to go through with it, so let's get it over with."

Draco started running his fingers through Harry's hair, feeling the boy begin to relax under his touch. "No, Harry, we're not going to just 'get it over with'. Look, we have no way of knowing how much of this we're going to remember tomorrow, and even if it isn't real, you might have some memories and I don't want you to feel like you've had your first time stolen from you. We're going to do this slow and carefully and do everything to make sure it's perfect for you. And if we do happen to remember some of this tomorrow, that will just set the stage for when we are able to do it for real. Perhaps, since it’s your first time, you should be on top? I can prepare myself, or I can teach you to prepare me. Either way is fine with me.”

“All right, Draco, teach me what you know,” Harry replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**FUDGE AND UMBRIDGE SENTENCED TO AZKABAN FOR LIFE**

A _Daily Prophet SPECIAL NEWS REPORT_  
By Cornelia Sioners

The trials of former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and his appointed Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, were held in a closed session of the Wizengamot due to security concerns.

Both trials were lengthy and witnesses included a large number of former and current students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This reporter was utterly shocked by the testimonies coming out of Courtroom Number Three. Due to the wide variety of witnesses to the crimes of Dolores Umbridge and Cornelius Fudge, there was no doubt in this reporter’s mind that they would both be sentenced to life in Azkaban, if not worse.

The following charges were levelled against the former Minister:

Malfeasance in Office Corruption namely:

1\. Taking bribes from former Ministry Employee and now convicted Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy.  
2\. Granting pardons to convicted Death Eaters who were let out of Azkaban under false pretences, that being under the Imperious Curse.

Criminal Negligence namely:

1\. Hiring Dolores Jane Umbridge for the post of Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, whom he later made Hogwarts first High Inquisitor and then acting Headmistress. During her tenure at Hogwarts, ex-Minister Fudge approved Umbridge's takeover of Hogwarts, allowing her to endanger the lives of its students, and sanctioned her carte blanche invasion of the school, despite her having no teaching or child care qualifications.

Actus Reus namely:

1\. Condoning Death Eater activity by failing to act in his official capacity as Minister, and thereby allowing criminal activity to take place  
2\. Being a financial supporter to the Death Eater group.

After several hours and many testimonies, ex-Minister Cornelius Fudge was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to the maximum security wing of St Mungos, where he will finish his current treatments for his nervous breakdown, Paranoid Schizophrenia, and Neuroticism. When medically released, he will be confined to Azkaban for the rest of his days. His wand will be snapped and he shall never be allowed to practice magic again.

As for the trial of Dolores Umbridge, it was anything but simple as several witnesses were underage at the time the offences happened. When the Clerk of the Court read the charges the crowd and everyone associated with the trial couldn’t believe what the woman had done to gain power.

Dolores Jane Umbridge was charged with the following:

Attempted murder; and soliciting a person or persons unknown to murder others under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act and Accessory to Attempted Murder for namely:

1\. Sending Dementors to Little Whinging on August 2nd **,** 1995, to kill Harry Potter in order to gain favour with the Death Eaters.

Aiding and Abetting Terrorist Activity:

1\. Namely providing financially backing to a terrorist organisation, i.e. the Group calling themselves Death Eaters, and  
2\. Sedition (convocating together any considerable number of people, physically or verbally, without lawful authority, under the pretence of redressing some public grievance, to the disturbing of the public peace).namely  
3\. Promoting the murder of Muggle-borns by trying to convince the population that all Muggle-borns have stolen their magic from pure-bloods, and should be forced to give it back by making restitution for their crimes before they are punished by death. Several Muggle-borns have reported that she had assaulted them and actively targeted them in her classroom, and at the Ministry of Magic.

Fraud:

1\. Two counts of fraud: Count One, befuddling the Minister of Magic into thinking she was qualified to teach students.  
2\. Count Two, falsifying documents to show that she had the training to teach students.

Child Abuse and Assault:

1\. Using the Dark Arts: namely, one Cursed Blood Quill and several charms and curses, with the intention of punishing the children in her care.

Grievous Bodily Harm, Torture and Use of the Unforgiveables

1\. Attempting to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter.  
2\. Ten counts of casting the Cruciatus Curse on Ex-Minister Cornelius Fudge, no less than ten times. This has been confirmed by St. Mungos healers.

Conspiracy against Rights namely:

1\. The right of all Wizards and Witches, whether pure-blood, Half-blood or Muggle-born to practice magic, primarily by promoting hatred of said Muggle-borns.

Use of the Dark Arts

1\. As many of our readership know, using the Dark Arts to discipline children is punishable by no less than the death sentence or two life sentences to Azkaban prison, your magic bound and your wand snapped. The fact that Dolores Umbridge was using the Dark Arts to punish the children in her care was understandably upsetting to the families in the courtroom. 

During a recess this reporter talked to Mrs Molly Weasley of Ottery St. Catchpole, who told me that she was appalled to learn that four of her children had these almost permanent sentences on the back of their hands. According to testimony, the children were told by Umbridge that the sentences couldn’t be removed. However, it has come to light that they can in fact be healed with a new skin restoration potion that was recently invented by Potions master Severus Snape. Even after hearing of a possible cure for her children, Mrs. Weasley vowed that if the court didn’t do anything to the woman she would find a way to make Umbridge pay herself.

This reporter also spoke to four of Mrs Weasley’s children who had the following marked on their hands: Ron Weasley had “I will not be friends with Harry Potter.” Ginevra Weasley and year mate Colin Creevy had “I will not fawn over Harry Potter.” Fred and George Weasley, owners of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, had “I will stop creating stupid jokes.”

Even Harry Potter had one of these lines on his hand, which read “I must not tell lies.” It was explained to the court that he was made to write these lines when he was telling everyone that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned. Much of the audience later expressed remorse; they had thought that Harry Potter was unstable because of ex-reporter Rita Skeeter’s newspaper articles.

After a long list of students who had various lines written into their hands, some more bizarre than others, this reporter actually lost track of the numerous children that Dolores Jane Umbridge had hurt. Witnesses also say that she took particular joy in watching each child wince and scream as their blood wrote the lines assigned.

Dolores Jane Umbridge was found guilty of all charges. She was sentenced to having her magic bound, her wand snapped, and life in Azkaban with no possibility of parole. It was further stated that if the Ministry gained control over the Dementors again, she would be given the Dementor’s Kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The band was just about to start practicing when a looming figure flowed into the room; he was dressed in a pair of skin-tight black jeans, a deep green silk shirt and a robe that was open and floating around him as he walked. Wayne and Blaise, who hadn’t seen Professor Snape’s new look, were absolutely stunned by his entrance. When the two boys realized that this was Professor Snape Wayne almost fainted, and Blaise looked like he was impersonating a codfish.

Severus walked over to the pair and, using his most intimidating voice, said, “Mr Zabini, Mr Hopkins, please control yourselves. Mr Zabini, do be so kind as to quit making fish impressions at my person.”

Blaise and Wayne began to laugh, and soon the rest of the group followed. After several minutes, Anton looked over at Professor Snape and spoke. “Professor, you might need to change a few of your habits or everyone is going to figure out who you are.”

“What, do I dare ask, would you consider the habits that need to be erased?” Snape said coolly.

“Well, you have the whole intimidating robe and walk thing going on. And of course there’s your speaking voice; you have a tendency to not speak like everyone else, and that could give you away, too. Like, for instance, you should have told Blaise to stop making silly faces at you, not at your person,” replied Anton.

Severus stood quietly for several minutes, making Anton squirm slightly. “I suppose you are right, Mr Stryder. Of course the robe was closed until I arrived in the room. I think the students might have become a bit curious because of my attire. I also suppose that calling everyone in the band ‘Mister’ will not be helpful, either. I will make an effort to be less eloquent, for the benefit of the group. Once I think of a suitable name for myself, I will allow you to call me by it, instead. For now, just call me Snape.”

After the discussion about what to call the Professor was over, the band began practicing the Professor’s songs. After several minutes, Wayne and Anton gradually quit playing, staring at Severus with a blank, enthralled look. It took several more minutes for Severus to realize that Draco and Blaise were the only ones continuing to play.

After Severus realized that most of the band had stopped playing, he turned around to look at the blank expressions. Puzzled, he pulled out his wand and performed a diagnostic spell on each of them before looking at them, even more perplexed than before. Looking over at Draco, he waved towards the stunned group.

“Do you have any idea what is going on? Surely I am not _that_ out of practice?” asked Severus.

“I don’t think so. They haven’t heard you sing before…” Draco trailed off for several moments before realizing what was going on. “I think I know what’s happening. Remember when I was little and I first heard you sing?”

Realization dawned on Severus at that moment. “Yes, I remember. I found out many years later that my voice has an odd effect on anyone that is gay or bisexual. It eventually wears off, but I will have to sing for them for several days, if not more, to get them used to it.”

After making a gesture at Wayne and Anton, they came out of their little trance, and looked over at Severus.

“We might have a little problem. I had forgotten that my voice is particularly mesmerizing to gay or bisexual men. Before we can practice as a whole band, I will have to sing for you to get you used to the sound. It may take a little while for you to adjust,” said Severus apologetically.

Anton blinked. “I have never heard of that particular talent before. Of course, weren’t there women who used to lure sailors to their death with their voices? Wonder if you have one in your bloodline somewhere.”

Severus pondered for several moments. “You know, I never thought to research it. I haven’t really sung for many people before now. It is entirely possible that a Siren resides in my family tree. Luckily, the old tales of Sirens were a bit exaggerated.”

Severus cleared his throat and launched into teaching mode. “In wizarding history, Sirens were normally talented singers who could mesmerize people with their song. Normally it was to stop suitable mates from leaving the area, back in ancient times when suitable breeding partners were hard to find.  These days, several popular singers have that ability themselves. It’s easy to get fans when all they want to do is listen and stare at you adoringly. It is a bit disturbing, to say the least. At least it eventually wears off and doesn’t affect those that are happily married, or in a serious long term partnership.”

Anton stared at Severus for a moment and began to laugh softly. Severus didn’t quite see what was so funny and began glaring at him.

After several seconds, Anton smiled. “I have two things to ask. The first one is: at what age did you say that Draco stared at you adoringly? Secondly, you mentioned that the song mesmerized people. Doesn’t it then actually only attract those of the Siren’s chosen gender to breed with? Which means, I assume, that you are gay, Professor?”

“You are correct, surprisingly; have you been reading some books recently?” Severus asked, chuckling softly while continuing to speak. “Are you fishing for information, Mr Str… I mean… Anton?” Anton had the decency to blush faintly. “My, my, you are a nosey little thing, aren’t you? I was, at one time, bisexual, actually, but I do prefer men these days. Not that it is really any of your business. As for the first question, perhaps that would be a question you should ask Draco.”

Anton looked over at Draco, who was blushing bright red, with a grin, “I was twelve, all right? I had just decided that girls were too icky to even consider doing anything with. Of course I kept that opinion to myself. It wasn’t until Severus’s song mesmerized me that I had to come to the realization that I was gay, first. ”

Anton nodded and began to chuckle to himself before turning toward Blaise, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Blaise grumped softly, “Not that it’s any of your business, Stryder, but I have heard him sing several times before now, so I am immune. Furthermore, though I am bisexual, I prefer women. Does that answer your questions, Mr Nosey?”

Anton grinned. “Yes, it does. What about you, Wayne?”

Wayne blushed. “Well, I would take a guess that answer is rather obvious, considering those you witnessed me snogging personally.”

Anton nodded. “You know… it’s interesting to think about what it takes for people to talk about these things. Last time I mentioned my sexuality to one of my friends, I thought they would faint.”

The whole group got a good laugh from that comment and looked towards Severus for a moment.

After several minutes, Severus sighed. “I suppose I should get…“ Severus looked momentarily frustrated. “‘I should get Draco and Blaise to play for me for a bit, and allow you two to adjust. Just try your hardest not to jump me. I don’t know how I would explain it to the Headmaster.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

For the last several days, Harry had been having an increasing problem that didn’t want to resolve itself. Though Harry’s Occlumency shields were better than they had been in previous years, Voldemort’s increasing anger and happiness were starting to leak through. He was having massive headaches that didn’t seem to want to go away, even with the strongest of potions. Professor Snape was trying to perfect a stable, stronger potion, but so far his triple extra strength potion wasn’t working. Harry began to have fainting spells, where he would pass out for several minutes. Luckily he hadn’t done that in Potions, but it was only a matter of time.

Finally, Harry’s mind and body could take no more: he passed out long enough for him to witness a frantic Voldemort questioning a man, who he called Gregorovitch, about a wand. After several minutes, Voldemort got impatient with the man and killed him.

When Harry came to he told Madam Pomfrey to get Dumbledore immediately. After telling Dumbledore he was all right, Harry told him about the Elder Wand, which he had been told over the summer that it was a part of the Deathly Hallows. Dumbledore informed Harry that the wand was in good hands, and not to worry about it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Blaise tried for several weeks to think of a way to get Hermione to date him, but every time he came up with a new idea, he just couldn’t figure out how to approach the subject with her. He was so tired of the empty-headed girls that he had been dating. He wanted someone with substance. He knew that he could stand up to her when she was bossy, so that wasn’t a problem. His mother even approved of her, which was saying a lot, considering their pure-blood roots. Finally, he was reading a book on traditions and it made a reference to an old tradition of courting anonymously. After reading up on the subject, he decided to send her the first letter of intent.

The next morning, during breakfast, Hermione received an elegantly wrapped package with a card enclosed. Blaise, who was watching quite nervously from the Slytherin table, had no idea if Hermione even knew about the tradition, or would even accept being courted at all. Of course he expected her to make an informed decision regardless; she was more level-headed than most women her age.

As Hermione opened the package and saw that it contained a book on wizarding traditions, she was momentarily confused. Pulling out the accompanying letter, she took a moment to look at the formal paper and carefully written script before beginning to read the note enclosed.

> Dear Miss Hermione Granger, 
> 
> Please accept this letter of proposal for a formal courtship in accordance with wizarding tradition section 10.5. The tradition states that a suitor can remain anonymous at the beginning of the courtship, so that preconceived notions aren’t held against them – such as all Hufflepuffs are exceedingly loyal, all Ravenclaws are outstanding students, or all Slytherins are Death Eaters. Such stereotypical notions are rarely true, but it doesn’t stop people from believing them, so this tradition allows you to get to know the real person behind the name before meeting them for the first supervised date.  
> 
> In accordance with tradition, I have enclosed the first of many gifts that I will give you. Since you are a Muggle-born, and a very lovely one at that, and since I know you have a love for knowledge, the first gift is, according to the clerk at Flourish and Blotts, the definitive volume on wizarding traditions. I hope you enjoy reading it.
> 
> Your suitor  
> 

Hermione looked around the room, quietly observing it. The majority of the students were busy reading their own mail or eating breakfast. Picking up the book on Wizarding Traditions, she leafed through it to the mentioned chapter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several moments later, she found the book-marked section, and began reading.

Section 10.5

This courtship allows the suitor to court their intended anonymously. This courtship was made for suitors that were known to the intended in some way. Nobility often used this particular tradition to weed out possible gold diggers and those who were unsuitable for the royal court.

In the first part of this tradition, a letter of intent must be sent. Once accepted, letters are exchanged and gifts follow. The intended is not required to send gifts in return but may do so if they wish.

After a suitable time has passed, the suitor may choose to reveal their identity. This is not actually required, though the suitor must reveal their identity by the first supervised date.

As custom requires, there must be a chaperon that can be trusted to interfere if things get out of hand. A trusted family friend or someone that the intended admires normally is chosen. After this date, letters may continue, as well as gifts. If the gifts and letters are returned to the suitor, this means that the intended no longer wishes to be courted by the suitor, and they must send a formal regret.

This courtship is sometimes used in conjunction with section 10.6, where those who have a prearranged marriage would exchange letters before the wedding.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco didn’t really get the chance to speak to Harry privately for several days after the incident in the Room of Requirement and the results of the Heart’s Ease Potion. He had spoken to Anton a couple of times during practice, but that was mainly business. Draco still wasn’t sure what to think about Anton being Harry, and the conflicting personalities.

It was then that he had decided to read over all the letters that Harry had sent, and realized that Harry’s personality was slowly becoming just like Anton’s. It was just as Harry had said. Now, after re-reading everything, Draco realized why he was attracted to Anton when he first met him; he reminded him of Harry. Draco actually began to wonder what would have happened if he had flirted with Anton and tried to get Anton to like him. Would Harry have continued to try and date him as Anton, or would he have come clean before it got much further? Realizing that this line of thought was getting him nowhere, he decided it really didn’t matter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After school hours, and well into the evening, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape were sitting in two comfortable black leather chairs in front of a softly roaring fire. If Severus were to think upon it, the mood might even be a bit romantic, but that word didn’t come easily to Severus Snape. The two had spent quite a bit of time, recently, talking about life in general, and becoming friends of a sort.

“Sometimes it’s hard to live with everything I know,” confessed Severus.

“I can imagine that it must make it hard to sleep. Thank Merlin for Silencing Charms,” replied Remus.

“True, I don’t think my Slytherins would know what to think if they heard their Head of House screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of the night.”

“Very true, I don’t know if I would want to hear it myself. I can imagine that I would jump out of bed and want to attack. It really doesn’t help the dating situation, let me tell you.”

“I really wouldn’t know, honestly. I haven’t dated in quite some time. I just don’t feel like being responsible for someone else’s safety, other than the ones I am already responsible for. I also have a hard time finding someone that can put up with my personality,” said Severus.

Remus sat pondering for several moments before turning his head towards the fire as he spoke. “Well, it wouldn’t have to be dating, but if you would like to ease some frustration, I wouldn’t be averse to assisting you with that problem.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author’s Notes:**

1) _actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea_ , which means: "an act does not make a person guilty unless (their) mind is also guilty.  Basically in official capacity failing to act makes you guilty be default – you have a duty of care to your constituents.

2) Well, I hope that everyone can forgive me for taking so long, and leaving you with a cliff-hanger. However, the chapter was already fourteen pages long, and I had to really ponder what Severus’ answer would be. Yes, I am not following book six and seven as far as Tonks is concerned. It just seemed odd to me, and considering Remus was so upset about being married and having a kid, I just had the brainchild that he wasn’t happy because he was gay and he was forced into it. I know, it’s a little far fetched, but that was what I thought.

I would love to have any reviews, suggestions, or other emails sent my way. My Muse could use some pick me ups. *chuckles*


	9. Dates, Courtships, and Potions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just encase anyone is curious, you can find pictures of the characters in Bane at the below url: <http://bane.citadelofthewolf.com/profiles.html>

Severus stared at Remus for several moments, completely stunned by the casual offer Remus had made. It wasn’t that Severus didn’t find Remus attractive, far from it, though he probably could use his potions that he had created to strengthen his bones and fix other internal injuries. The fact of the matter was, that Severus had actually thought that Remus was straight all this time. Of course, the topic had never really come up before in any conversation, but still, it shocked him none the less. Severus wasn’t blind, and he had noticed that Tonks was always trying to get Remus’ attention. Severus began to open his mouth to reply, when he felt Remus’ hand on his thigh.

“I know you are probably shocked. However, this doesn’t have to change anything between us if you don’t want it to. If you do, well, that’s great. If not, then just forget I said anything. We don’t have to start a real relationship or anything. If you just want someone to release some stress with once in awhile, all you have to do is ask.”

Severus cleared his throat before replying with a slight amused smile. “You’re babbling.” Remus blushed at the comment and shut his mouth quickly. He surely didn’t want to turn Severus off if he was actually interested in pursuing something with him.

Shaking his head, Severus caught Remus’ eyes as he continued to speak. “I am, as you say stunned. I had assumed that you were straight and dating Nymphadora.”

“Tonks… she’s” Remus laughed softly, pausing to try to think of an appropriate word, “nice, the clumsiness is kind of cute sometimes, on the other hand, everyone seems to be expecting us to settle down and have children. I am bisexual, actually. However, these days I have a higher attraction for men. Tonks spends about ninety percent of her time lately crying her eyes out. I just can’t stand to see a woman cry.”

Severus chuckled softly, nodding his head in agreement. “Yes, I heard Molly speaking of her crying fits after the last Order meeting. She appeared to be very distressed about the way that Nymphadora has been acting recently. You know Molly and her opinions; she’s always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“Yes, I certainly do. She was actually one of the main ones trying to get us together. I told Molly that I wasn’t interested, but it seems that Tonks claims that she’s in love with me, so Molly has taken upon herself to try to force me to be with her, and I just don’t love her. Molly can’t understand why I would not be interested in her and demanded to know what was so wrong with Tonks that I didn’t even want to date her.”

Severus sneered at the thought, “Why in Merlin’s name does she think she has the right to demand anything? It’s not her business if Nymphadora loves anyone. It also isn’t any of her business that she demands she must be in love with you because her Patronus is a werewolf now.”

“Yes, I caught a glimpse of it last week actually. She sent me a message about the next meeting of the Order. I was amazed to say the least.” Remus said, his head shaking in disbelief. “Anyway, that’s enough about her, and back to the previous conversation. What do you say, Severus?”

“I think that… I would be amendable to some sort of… liaison between us.”

Remus smiled happily and reached for Severus’s hand, only to have Severus stand up and walk away with a slight frown on his face. Puzzled, Remus watched Severus intently.

“I must tell you something though, before we take this any further, and I want your word that you will not tell anyone about it.”

“You know you can tell me anything. If this is about anything bodily related, I have scars of my own you know.” Remus smiled reassuringly.

“Well, actually, it is bodily related as you say. My apparent appearance no longer reflects my actual one. I mainly use it to keep up my facade. It helps when a spy has several secrets.” Severus replied with a grin.

“What do you mean this isn’t how you look any more? I don’t detect a glamour, and I can usually smell them from far away.”

“Well, then my spell has been perfected. It is an accomplishment to have a spell that is completely undetectable by werewolves.”

“What exactly is this spell?” Remus stated with an awed look upon his face. “I didn’t know that you wrote your own spells. When did you learn to do that?” he asked curiously.

“I started inventing spells when I was young, in Hogwarts actually. I have always had an affinity with spell making, though I was more interested in potions. I went on to study with several master spell makers after school. Needless to say the Dark Lord was very impressed with me.”

Remus blinked several times, his face showing his obvious disbelief. “You started inventing spells when we were children? You know, now that I think about it, I seem to recall a spectacular piece of spell work back then, one where you turned Sirius upside down and sliced off his trousers. Was that one of yours?”

"Yes, it was two different spells actually, and I invented both of them. The spell was actually the same one Potter used to embarrass me. He stole it from me several weeks before he pulled it on me. He must have gotten hold of my spell diary without my knowledge, I still can't figure out how though.  I have a rather large collection of spells of my own creation. I had many years to specialize in them. If I didn't want to do other things after I retire, I might actually go into the spell-making field. If not, perhaps I could do a little freelance work for the division."

“I must say, Severus, I am impressed. Though, what is it that you are planning to do instead? That is, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Promise me you won’t laugh? I am sort of baring my soul here.”

“I promise, Severus. I doubt that you could say anything that would make me laugh, unless you decided to become a model for some Wizarding fashion house. That just wouldn’t fit your personality.” Remus chuckled at his own joke.

Severus scowled at Remus. “I will have you know, that I could easily become a model, and I would be successful too.” Severus crossed his arms in front of his chest and made several movements across the front of his body with his hands. Moments later, Remus would swear that he wasn’t even looking at Severus Snape.

Severus grinned at Remus’s reaction. It was more than he had hoped for. Remus was attracted to the old Severus, but he was in complete lust over his new appearance. Severus’ normally greasy looking hair looked soft as silk, and cascaded down his back in gentle waves, which was much longer than his normal style. Severus had his spell cover his hair so well, that Remus wouldn’t have even known that he had changed his hairstyle.

“I… wow, I… I don’t know what to say other than, you look better than Lockhart on his best day, and what can I do to get you to share this wonderful potion with me?”

“I could accommodate you with a sample of my potions, and teach you the spell to cover it. I need to patent it first, before allowing it to become public.”

“You have a deal, Severus. If the only thing it could do is clear up my scars, I would be the happiest man alive.”

“Oh, it does much more than that. It is a series of potions that I invented that you take over several days time. The regimen heals internal injuries, fixes your complexion, and other problems. It will get rid of all your scars, fix broken bones, and prevent you from scaring severely in the future. “Now, usually you take a dose which ensures you look much better for a specific time, the length of which depends on whether your dose is regular or large, but if you had someone use the Cruciatus Curse on you, then you would only need to take a small dose to repair the damage. I have used it for several years now, and have had no ill effects.”

“I must say that is an impressive set of potions. I am sure many people would be interested in it. What made you invent it?”

“Well, I was mainly looking to heal internal injuries left from Dark curses and broken or deformed body parts. I was tired of people making fun of my nose, and since it was my Muggle father’s fault it was that way to begin with, I wanted to fix it. Astonishingly, it had a side effect that basically made all my scaring go away, cleared up my complexion, and made my teeth straight and perfectly white. I then noticed that my hair looked really out of place with my newly improved body, so I invented a potion that fixed my hair and gave it length, body and wave using several new ingredients I read about in a recent potions journal. Needless to say, I was so changed; that I knew I had to invent something to put some of my features back to normal or someone might become suspicious.”

“I would say so. I am sure it helps in your mission to be unassuming as well. People would pay far too much attention to you if you went around like that.”

“Yes, they do in fact. I usually go out without a glamour when I want to be someone other than hated Professor Snape. You would be surprised at the number of offers I have received. I turned them down, of course.”

“Oh, of course!” Remus smiled, “Naturally, I thought that you were already attractive, just more so now. Anyway, what ingredients were they, if I can ask? You know I have an interest in potions, and I am sure that though I may not understand everything you say, I will be an attentive listener.”

“Well, the article said that certain doses of astragalus root, dandelion root, sarsaparilla root, and ligustrum berries will help with skin health, and aloe leaf, rosemary, nettles, anise, help with hair issues. It was a really fascinating article, and it took me a couple of tries to get the ingredients just right.”

“Well, that does sound interesting.

“Actually, seeing the results, I am not surprised at the number of propositions you have received. I wonder what it would do for me; perhaps my bones will stop aching so close to the full moon.”

“That is a possibility. I do have to wonder what it will do with the curse in your body. Perhaps it will lessen the effects felt before and after the full moon. I am sure you would appreciate not having to lie in bed for a day or two after transformations.” Severus said as he pondered the possible effects of the potion on a werewolf.

“No idea, let’s hope so. I could use any help with it. Perhaps I could take some after to speed recovery. Though, have you had any addictions with it so far? You did say you had been using it for several years.”

“I don’t use it all that often except for after a visit with the Dark Lord. He does so like his curses. It shouldn’t bother you if you only take it once or twice a month.”

“That’s good; I wouldn’t want to get addicted to it. Especially, if something horrible happens to you, and I couldn’t get it anymore.”

“You have to understand though, that it’s still at an experimental stage and I do not really know whether there might be side effects for someone other than myself, but, well, I hope you won’t have that problem.”

“Me, too, Severus. Me too.”

“Now, that we have that conversation out of the way, what was your soul baring aspiration?” Remus asked eagerly.

“To sing…” replied Severus with a smirk.

Remus sat totally stunned for several minutes before he began to grin. “I could see that, with your sexy voice and all. I believe I even heard it once when we were children and had an irresistible urge to pounce you. Luckily, Sirius and James were able to hold me back. I never did understand why I reacted that way.”

Severus cleared his throat softly and gave Remus a lopsided grin. “Well, I suspect that I may have a bit of Siren blood in me. I had to stun a couple of teenagers and force them to listen to me for a week before the urge to pounce me subsided.”

Remus laughed. “Let me guess… you are joining Draco’s band?”

Severus nodded. “Yes, luckily, they can stand to listen to me now. For awhile after our debut we're going to have to erect a ward around the stage to keep people off it.”

“That is a very good idea, Severus. Don’t want them attacking you in the middle of a set.”

“Exactly.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been two weeks after Severus and Remus had agreed that Remus would be the next test subject for the potion now dubbed: Restituo Valetudo. It was a slightly nervous Remus that trekked down to the dungeons after dinner Friday evening. He had been speculating for weeks now what he might look like after the change. Severus said he had filled out quite a bit after his change since Severus had the tendency to skip meals when he was working on a project or other research. Since Remus had many lean years in his adult life, perhaps he would finally stop looking so mousy and finally look like he might have if the curse hadn’t been raging in his body since his tenth birthday.

As he stepped into Severus’ private lab, he quietly watched Severus finish a potion and place it aside to cool. Carefully, Severus picked up an empty vial and began filling it; labelling each of the vials in his careful spidery handwriting. After he finished, Remus continued to watch as he placed the majority of them on the shelf and grabbed two of them.

“We should probably retire to the bedroom; it would be less painful to lie down while the potion works.”

Remus nodded, swallowing hard as he followed Severus to his bedroom.

“Now, I know you are nervous, but I promise that I will be here to help you through the changes. I didn’t have anyone myself, so it will be good to be able to observe from a second hand account.”

Remus grinned. It was just like Severus to think of it as one big experiment. Remus just hoped that he survived with his pride intact. It didn’t help, that as Remus laid down on the bed that a sleek black cat scattered out of the room, making the wolf inside want to follow and play with it. Remus shook his head slightly, who knew Severus was a cat person.

“Severus, how long have you had a cat?” Remus asked.

Severus stiffened. He had hoped that the feline would not be seen. “It was a present for my last birthday.  From what I understand, Minerva decided that I needed something to live for. I tried telling her that I didn’t want a pet. I even tried getting rid of it, but it kept coming back. I had no recourse but to keep it. His name is Aldwyn.”

“That’s a great name, I like it.” he replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After he took the potions, it took several hours of uncomfortable urges to move and the feeling of bones shifting to fall into a comfortable sleep. Not that Remus wasn’t used to falling asleep with his bones shifting, aching, adjusting, but this was different than his normal transformations. It was more uncomfortable than truly painful, but Remus was definitely happy that there was a potion that gave him slight pain relief.

Despite the discomfort though, Remus thought that it was definitely preferable to his normal transformation. At least he would be keeping his right mind through the process, and be able to see positive changes to his appearance afterwards instead of feeling like his body was dying every month.

Severus had told him that the worst of it should be over and the changes should be complete by the time he woke up. It was with that in mind that Remus finally fell asleep that evening.

In the morning, Severus conjured a tall mirror and stood Remus in front of it. Severus had been secretly admiring the potion’s effects most of the morning. He had watched his friend, soon to be lover, go through the necessary changes to fix his health during the night. It was much harder on Remus than it probably had been on Severus. Remus seemed to have a lot more internal problems to fix than Severus did. However, considering Remus’ normal appearance of looking so sick and weak all the time, Severus could say without a doubt that his potion was going to be a big hit.

Remus stared into the mirror, touching his face, trying to make sure that it was still him. When he noticed the mirror copying his actions, Remus fell back on the bed in shock. He had gained several inches in height; his hair was slightly longer and had a golden sheen to it that it hadn’t had since he was a young child. He definitely no longer looked ill. In fact, one could say Remus was glowing with health. He had rosy cheeks for the first time in his adult life, and he felt more alive in his human body than he had in years.

He quickly fumbled with the bathrobe and uncovered his body, not caring that Severus was in the room. All of the self-inflicted scars from his nights as a werewolf were gone, including some of the deeper ones. Even the mark left from his werewolf bite was gone, which was a miracle in itself. Perhaps Harry would like to use the potion when the war was over. If it could remove curse scars that would definitely be beneficial for him. Remus would ask him later about that.

Severus stood grinning at Remus and winked. “Well, I must say that I do good work. I haven’t ever seen you look this healthy. There were points in our lives where I was afraid you would topple over. How was the pain, was it too unbearable? I didn’t have as many internal injuries as you do.”

“It was mostly uncomfortable. My bones ached quite a bit, but that was probably them correcting damage.” Remus paused a second as he registered the rest of what Severus said, “Why Severus, is that a compliment I hear?”

Severus scoffed at the idea. “No, a compliment would sound much better than that. You look great Remus; it looks like it took several years off your age, which is very good. You look younger and healthier.” Severus paused for a moment, looking Remus over again.  “Is the wolf close the surface?  I can’t tell how you’re feeling, you do seem very calm though.” At Remus’s nod, Severus smiled. “Perhaps with tonight’s dose the wolf can be pushed further away still.”

Remus grinned, practically bouncing with excitement. He had noticed that the wolf, always lurking inside, seemed distant as soon as he woke up, and it was getting close to the full moon. Perhaps Severus was right: with a few more doses, perhaps they would have finally found the cure for werewolves. He tried not to be hopeful about it, any help is appreciated.  If they had found a cure for lycanthropy, then he would be the happiest man on the planet.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione was just sitting down to breakfast, when the post owls started delivering the morning mail. It wasn’t unusual for her these days to receive mail that wasn’t the normal newspaper. It had been several months since someone had started courting her, and she hadn’t even gathered enough courage to tell Harry and Ron. It wasn’t that she was ashamed that a Slytherin was courting her, but she didn’t really know what to tell them.

Just as she started to fill her plate, an owl landed next to her. In his beak was a package with her name on it. She reached up to grasp the box, and the owl quickly took off. Knowing from experience that she shouldn’t open her gifts at the table, she swiftly put the package in her bag after doing a very quick spell to check for harmful contents.  Hermione was curious what her suitor had sent this time, but she didn’t have much free time until next period.

Hermione wasn’t about to let Ginny know that she received another package. Ginny had been harassing her for several weeks wanting to know if her brother was sending her the gifts. Even though Hermione told her several times that he wasn’t, and to mind her own business, she kept asking.

Several hours later, after double Transfigurations, Hermione was able to sneak into her dorm and open that morning’s package. She was surprised to see a very small book and some paper that was shrunk inside the box. Waving her wand, Hermione enlarged the two items and began to read the note.

> Dearest Hermione,
> 
> Hello beautiful. I hope that these books will help us communicate better. I found them at the bookstore one weekend, and bought a pair of them. It was actually rather easy to link them together. Anyway, think of it as a journal or something that I can read. When there are new messages, the cover will glow red, if I am writing at the time that it starts to flash, it will glow green. If you would like to schedule a time, we could actually write at the same time; have a proper conversation. Let me know when that might be.
> 
> Your Suitor  
> 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that afternoon during her free period, Hermione curled up on her bed and thanked Merlin that she had her own room this year. She could imagine what would happen if Lavender or Parvati were around, she would have to ward her bed to keep them out.

Picking up her quill, she tapped the tip against her chin, pondering what to write. She definitely decided that her suitor was Blaise, but she obviously couldn’t call him that until she was sure. She was first suspicious when she noticed the distinct owl that delivered her letters delivering mail to Blaise. Eventually, she decided on something simple for her first message.

>   
> _Hello. Thank you for the very lovely gift. It was very thoughtful of you to think of an easier way for us to communicate. I think it is very practical and very interesting way to get to know you better. I was finding it rather hard to get up to the owlery each day to find an owl. Please write to me at 9:00 p.m. and we can “chat” then._
> 
> _By the way, can you please give me something to call you? I am sort of tired of writing My Suitor with every message._  
> 

Satisfied with her first entry in the book, she closed it and looked up at the clock and began to panic. “Oh, no! I am going to be late for Arithmancy!” She quickly jumped off the bed, and stuffed the book under her pillow, making sure to place a non-snooping ward on her bed, and quickly left the room.

Later that evening, she pulled out her book and noticed that she had a reply.

> Buona sera _il mio gentile bello signora._ _Thank you for indulging me. I find myself thinking of you often, and I have been looking forward to getting to know you better. Why don’t we ask each other questions, and go from there?_
> 
> _You can call me,_ Le Feu _. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I guess I was too busy thinking of you, and it didn’t cross my mind._  
> 

Hermione sat laughing softly, and smiled. He did have a great sense of humour. 

>   
> _Well, hello Le Feu, I am assuming that you are speaking Italian. Giving away something about you so close to home hmmm? You know, this is so much more convenient than writing by owl, and it’s much quicker too. At least now I won’t feel guilty asking your owl to fly back and forth to bring you letters. I love being able to be anywhere and be able to write you. Right now I am curled up on my bed, and not one person knows what I am doing. I was getting tired of being pestered by my friends about your owl. He’s very distinctive._   
> 

After a few moments, words began appearing in the book.

> _Yes, I am speaking Italian. My mother made sure that I know several languages including, French, Spanish, Italian, and some Russian. I am glad that you like the books. I am sure my owl is glad that he doesn’t have to fly as much, he’s a Northern Hawk Owl. He isn’t normally found in this part of the world. The closest habitat was in Russia, where I went on a trip with my mother several years ago._

Hermione smiled, she had already looked up the kind of owl he was, but she knew that he probably already knew that she did.

> He’s very beautiful; I don’t think you ever did tell me his name. I was actually rather surprised that he started bringing my mail. I would have thought you would continue using the school owls.  
> 

As Hermione waited for a reply, she hoped that he realized that by sending her such an easy to spot owl that he was almost ready to confirm her suspicions on his identity.

> Thanks, his name is Aiekin. You know, I'm amazed at how far we've managed to come since the beginning of our courtship. It’s funny how I was so worried about whether or not this was such a good idea. I really worked myself into a state over whether I should write but I'm so glad I did. It’s so nice being able to sit and write to you any time I want.  
>   
> 

Hermione sat fidgeting while trying to figure out what to reply with. With him bringing up how far they'd come recently made Hermione realize that she couldn't put off telling Harry and Ron for much longer. Finishing the conversation she sat and began planning how she could tell them, with the least likelihood of an explosion from one or both of them. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several weeks of band practice flew by before Draco started getting a feeling that something between him and Harry had changed. They were still dating, and their problems seemed to have worked themselves out. However, he started to get the feeling that something had happened that he just couldn’t place. Harry wasn’t really acting suspiciously, but it just seemed like he felt closer to Harry than he had in weeks prior.

He had been having very realistic dreams that seemed to be based off real life. However, considering he was positive that he and Harry hadn’t had sex yet, it must be his imagination; it wasn’t possible that he could have had sex with Harry and completely forgotten it. Unless, of course, he was Obliviated or it had been potion induced.

After he thought that, he suddenly remembered something very important. In one of his dreams his house-elf had been present. As Draco realised he couldn’t remember the whole dream he tried to find out what had happened from the only resource who might know.

“Mipsey,” Draco called.

“Master, what can Mipsey be doing for you?”

“Mipsey, has something happened recently, something to do with me and Harry,” he asked quietly.

Mipsey hung her head miserably but didn’t answer.

“Mipsey,” was ground out by the now disturbed blond, “Tell me what you did.”

“I is not meaning to hurt Master.  I is doing what is best.”

“Which is what?”

“I is putting a potion in Master’s and Master’s friends’ drink.  Master and Him drink it and then no more problems. Just like Mipsey did for old Master and Mistress.”

“Mipsey, Harry’s not going to like this and its all your fault.  Don’t make me give you clothes.”  Draco spoke calmly despite his shock, or maybe because of it; he wasn’t really sure himself. “Or next there will be clothes.”

He sat down suddenly; glad there was a chair near, “Oh, hell, I’m repeating myself.”

“Oh Merlin, Harry doesn’t know.  He can’t know.  He’s going to kill me, no he’s going to kill you.”

“Is Master going to tell him?”

“Tea, Mipsey, now”.  Draco commanded the elf, as he thought about what he should do., _“I really don’t want to tell him I took his virginity in a dream.  Because of an interfering house elf.  Not a good idea, I can imagine the hell I’m going to go through once he finds out anyway,_ ” he shuddered, “ _although at least we don’t have to keep arguing anymore.  I just hope he’s reasonable about Mipsey, there aren’t many as well trained as her anymore.”_

“Mipsey, where’s that tea?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione paced nervously in the Room of Requirement waiting on her two best friends. She couldn’t believe that she was about to tell Ron and Harry that she was being courted in a pure-blood tradition. The Slytherin part wouldn’t really matter to them since they were both dating Slytherins. However, it didn’t stop her from being nervous. She was sure that she knew who her suitor was, but she was having too much fun watching the changes in him to say anything.

He had not been seen with any girl in some time, and Hermione was pleased that he was actually taking everything seriously. She never really did believe that his reputation was completely true. Some of the girls that claimed that they had slept with him were known to tell lies about their supposed conquests to look cool to the other girls. It seemed he had a reputation and girls that got him to sleep with them, or spread around that they did, were suddenly noticed by the other males in the school.

Hermione found it utterly ridiculous that in order to be noticed by the boys at school they had to pretend to have sex, or actually have sex with someone. She was glad that she had caught his attention with something else. Her suitor actually cared about her mind, and had stated several times that he was tired of empty headed girls who couldn’t even carry on a conversation without giggling.

She could tell that he was rather intelligent himself, and that was nice. Though she had once thought she would become Mrs Ron Weasley, Hermione realised that they just didn’t have enough in common to really have a long lasting marriage. It was around that time that she had started dating Fred, which had caused several months of uneasy silence between Ron and her.  Luckily, they had eventually gotten over the silence and moved back to being good friends.

Several moments later, the door opened and Ron and Harry walked in. They could tell that Hermione was clearly very nervous about whatever secret she had been keeping from them. She was pacing back and forth in front of a softly burning fire, talking to herself and wringing her hands in the edge of her shirt.

They’d figured that this nervousness had to do with the packages and letters that she’d been receiving, and Harry was sure that she had her own secret admirer. Harry, of course, had his own secret. He knew who liked his best friend. He had seen Blaise at the owlery sending off a package that, later that morning, showed up in Hermione’s place.

Harry was glad to see the change come over his band mate and friend. Hermione seemed more confident about herself and Blaise had settled down with a good purpose. It was actually surprising that the young man he now considered a friend was courting his best friend. If this had happened several years ago, Harry would probably have been quite upset. However, now that he had gotten to know the Slytherin, he realized that there was so many things that he didn’t know about students in the other houses.

Pulled out of his musings, Harry noticed that Hermione was speaking about what was troubling her. She acted like she had rehearsed what she was going to say for several hours, and was repeating it from memory.

“I know that you’ve seen the mail and several packages that have been coming to me on a fairly regular basis lately, and I wanted you to know that...” she paused, looking even more nervous. “I’mbeingcourted.” Hermione exclaimed in a rush.

Harry looked at Hermione oddly, and replied, “Well, I normally only say this to Ron, but huh?”

“Okay, I’m sorry...” She stood there for several minutes, trying to calm down before speaking again, wringing her hands in her shirt. “I said I’m being courted. I am pretty sure I know who it is, but just in case I am wrong, I don't want to embarrass myself by telling you who it is.”

Ron sputtered slightly before exclaiming, “Courted? By who? I thought you and Fred had broken up?”

Harry elbowed Ron slightly in the side and shook his head. Ron knew better than to mention Fred for any reason. Their break-up was something that may still hurt Hermione, and Ron knew he shouldn’t be bringing him up in a conversation about someone else that was trying to marry her. Ron shrugged and muttered his apologies to Hermione before lowering his head to look down at the cold stone floor.

Hermione smiled at Harry's protective nature and cleared her throat, causing Ron to look up at her. “It's okay; it's all right to mention his name now. It's not like we didn’t part ways as friends or something. We both knew that with his schedule it just wouldn’t work. I did have no idea that someone else would notice that I was available and decide to take advantage of it. It's rather charming in a way, more romantic than I would have thought, actually. He's been really sweet to me; he even sent a journal for us to converse in to save our owls from tiring out.”

Harry and Ron smiled at their friend, and something made Harry curious. _'I wonder how much she really knows. Well, let's ask her.'_

“Hermione, I am curious. You said that you had a pretty good idea who your suitor was. What clues are you going on?” asked Harry.

“Well, like I said, I’m unsure of whom exactly it is, but I have a pretty good feeling.” Hermione sighed, wishing that Harry hadn’t pushed her for answers. “I guess since I have been keeping it a secret I can tell you what I know. Although, it is a bit embarrassing to be honest. It was something I’ve been noticing for awhile since I became your band manager. Every time I walked into the room, I got the distinct impression that I was being watched. Considering everyone in the room was either with someone or at least dating around, it didn’t take me too long to figure out that there were only two choices that it could be.” She started, pausing to catch her breath as she continued to ramble.

“Considering Wayne has been dating men for several years now, I figured that it had to be Blaise. I was surprised at first, thinking that perhaps he needed help with his homework or something. However, when I thought about it, he was always getting top marks in the classes that he had with me, so it couldn’t be that. Of course, that‘s when I realized that the supposed, “Slytherin Sex God of the dungeons,” she paused and used her fingers to quote the phrase, “hadn’t been dating anyone in several months. The few girls that have tried to pretend that they were dating him, or at least having sex with him, were quickly stopped in their tracks by Blaise mentioning that he wouldn’t ever sleep with them and to give up trying. It was around then that the courtship letter arrived, and I was pretty sure that it was a Slytherin considering the outlined courtship. When I’d decided it was Blaise, I resolved to give him a chance to prove that he wasn’t the guy he was rumoured to be. I also noticed that the owl delivering my mail from my suitor was also landing on Blaise’s shoulder at least once a day.”

Harry grinned at Hermione's brilliant deduction. After Harry had noticed the package to Hermione show up, he had confronted the Slytherin about his friend and was pleasantly surprised by what he was doing. Hermione had always been a romantic at heart, and the fact that she was being courted like a princess, probably made her quite happy. He had, of course, pulled the normal brother routine and told Blaise that he better not be joking or playing with her feelings.

 

 

It was rather amusing to watch Blaise moon over Hermione. The Slytherin lit up when she entered the room, which he tried his hardest to hide. However, though Blaise may be a Slytherin, he had a really hard time hiding his feelings for Hermione, so that no one would notice. It was touching that Blaise cared so much when he barely knew her.He just hoped that once he really got to know her, that he would still want her. Hermione had the tendency to scare most sane men away with her brilliant mind. Luckily, Blaise had an intelligence that was equal to Hermione's and really should have been sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin. Of course, the same thing could be said about Hermione.

“I knew that you would figure it out quicker than Blaise gave you credit for, Hermione.” Hermione began puffing up, ready to spew her righteous indignation that Harry knew about her suitor before she did, and Harry decided to put her anger to rest before she could reply. “Before you get mad at me, I only found out last week and he begged me to keep quiet about it. However, since you know, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to confirm your theory.”

Hermione sighed. It didn’t really matter that Harry knew in the long run. “Well, at least I know that I am right. How did you find out, Harry?”

“I was a little down, and decided that going up to visit Hedwig would help. While I was there, I saw him sending a package. It was later at breakfast that I noticed the owl and the same package deliver itself to you. Needless to say, I confronted him shortly after. I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t pulling some sort of practical joke on you, or attempting to hurt you in any way.” Harry replied.

Hermione smiled at her best friend. She could always count on Harry to protect her. “It must have been a good conversation if you agreed to keep his secret.”

Harry nodded. “I was satisfied by his reasoning actually. I thought it was romantic: kind of reminded me of the sweet letters that Draco has sent me this year. Though is it just me, or is it funny that all three of us are dating Slytherins?”

The trio laughed at the irony, and made their way to the exit. Things seem to be working out well for their personal lives. However, what nobody knew, was Voldemort was planning a huge attack on the Ministry that would leave it crippled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author Notes:** I know that the linked books or journals have been widely used in fan fiction. However, I decided that two letter writing campaigns in the same story would just be a little too much. I thought of trying several other methods, but none of them seemed feasible. Hope you don’t mind.

Picture of the Owl: <http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Hawk_Owl.html> or <http://content.ornith.cornell.edu/UEWebApp/images/AM_hawk_owl_1_S.jpg>

Owl Information: The Northern Hawk Owl is a crow sized owl that acts more like a hawk than an owl. Unlike most owls, it is diurnal, which means it hunts during the day. This owl is not afraid of humans, and will let you get very close to it. 

_Restituo Valetudo = Restore Health in Latin  
Buona sera il mio gentile bello signora – Good Evening my beautiful lady._


	10. Cures, Surprises and Dreams Revealed

Remus hadn’t felt this good in years, not even before he had been bitten as a child. He never expected to feel this way again, like he had taken twenty years off his appearance and body. It was wonderful not to wake up every morning feeling like an old man of a hundred, when he was only in his late thirties. His aches and pains now were a mere memory of their former selves. Severus had given him the regimen of potions twice now, and he felt increasingly better after each dose he took. Remus was worried though; the full moon would be in two days, the first one since he had begun the potions. He felt the wolf had retreated quite a bit, and no longer lingered where he could feel its rising anger over certain things as the moon drew closer, but after so many years in the moon’s thrall, he found it hard to be absolutely certain that the wolf had completely retreated.

Severus had actually felt so inclined after that statement to give him a kiss, apparently very happy that the werewolf was contained where he wouldn’t get hurt. Severus still had a fear of werewolves after all of these years. Not that Remus could blame him; he sometimes had that fear himself. Dumbledore often wanted him to be an ambassador to the werewolf population, which meant that he had to curb his natural dominant nature to appear weaker to any Alpha he dealt with.Luckily, Remus had lots of practice pretending to be harmless.

The only residual feeling that he definitely felt from his wolf was a continuing attachment to Severus: an attachment that felt like Severus should be much more than merely a friend or lover. Remus could barely remember a time when he hadn’t felt that way, though. It started when he was a teenager, but his friends, now long since dead or gone, would never have let him act on them. Before Severus actually found out that Remus was a werewolf, they had been forced to be lab partners in Potions, and had almost become friends. If it hadn’t been for James and Sirius, he might have been with Severus years ago, a fact that Remus regretted more than anything **:** the lost time, and the companionship he could have had for years.

Several days later, Remus could hardly believe it: while the wolf had tried to come out on the full moon, it couldn’t fully take over his body. He became slightly more hairy, and his ears a bit pointed, a little like elves' ears. He also found his face was elongated with a bit of a muzzle, and he still had his tail. That was all that could come forth. For the first time in more years than he could remember, Remus felt mostly normal, although the tail threw him off balance whenever he tried to walk across the room.

Severus was very excited at the results of his potions regimen; he had invented a cure for werewolves! Well, nearly, anyway. Severus did several tests on the formula during the days of the full moon, and thought he may have come up with a way to get rid of the minimal effects left over. If Severus could perfect this potion, then Remus could actually hold down a real job, and be able to have a real life.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

 

On Saturday morning Harry stretched as he woke up, wincing as a pain shot up his lower body. Sitting up in bed, he gasped as he realised that he felt like he thought he would if he had sex that night, which would be impossible, unless he was taken against his will and Obliviated. He thought back over the last few days, and realised that each night he had been having strange erotic dreams that were more vivid than anything he had ever encountered before.

Gingerly swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Harry cautiously got up and went to take a shower. Using the time in total privacy to go over what could have happened, he found himself distracted by memories of his dream, which was filled with loving thoughts and actions. He doubted he could feel that way unless it was someone he cared about; it was definitely a boy, and he looked like Draco.

The more Harry tried to analyse his dreams the more worried he became.

“Okay,” he groaned under the spill of water, “I need to find out whether they were actually real, or just my imagination.” Drying off he decided to research obscure spells and potions that would make you feel like you were in love even if being taken against your will.

Having spent the weekend holed up in the library, he found several potions and spells that met some of the requirements, although none completely fit the criteria. Giving in to the urge to scream, Harry laid his head on his crossed arms in order to smother the sound.

“Harry? Harry, answer me right now!” he heard vaguely. Lifting his head he saw Hermione in front of him, her arms crossed and her left foot tapping, obviously frustrated with him.

“Hi, 'Mione.”

“Harry, whatever’s the matter?You disappeared all weekend.”

“Noth…”

“Have you been in here all the time?”

“Yeah. Actually, I…”

“What are you doing? Are you alright?” Her machine gun delivery was confusing him slightly as he tried to come up with answers he couldn’t possibly fit into the millisecond gaps in her speech.

Waiting until she seemed to have run out of words, he calmly asked, “Are you done?”

“Well, I... Er, yes, I’m done. Can you at least answer me, please?” She begged.

Laughing Harry replied, “Nothing, yes, looking up spells and potions, not really.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, yes, looking up...”

“Yes, okay, I get it. So what’s wrong? This isn’t like you.”

“Actually, can you come with me outside, where we can talk properly? Please?” Harry asked Hermione.

Intrigued, she nodded. He stood up, packed up his bag, and they left together.

Sometime later, when they reached a large rock overlooking the lake, Harry cast several silencing wards and spells, explaining to her about the dreams, and with a lot of embarrassment, he also told her about the physical aches he had woken up with.

“I’ve heard of something like this before, but I’m not sure where!” she exclaimed.

“I’m going…”

“To the library...” Harry snorted, trying hard not to laugh at her disgusted expression. “I’ll come get you for dinner.”

Shaking her head and laughing, Hermione stood up, brushed off her skirt, and wandered off back to the library.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two days later Hermione dragged Harry out to the lake again.

“I’ve found a potion; it’s a bit obscure, but it would explain about the, ah, symptoms that you’ve been feeling. It also seems as though it’s a potion commonly used by pure-bloods, only the book I found it in didn’t give many details of what it’s usually used for,” she explained. “What do you want to do now?”

“Who might know what it’s for?” Harry asked. “Well, who we can ask anyway. I can hardly go ask Dra-, er, Malfoy.”

“Dobby,” they both exclaimed together, then grinning at each other, and yelled a bit louder, “DOBBY!”

“What can Dobby do for Harry Potter, sir,” Dobby asked as he popped in, bouncing up and down in his excitement at being called.

“Dobby,” Hermione caught his attention, “do you know what the ‘Harmonieux Potion’ is?”

“Yes, Hermione Granger, miss. For keeping harmony and peace in the house, stops the master and mistress fighting. Is this what you is wanting to be knowing?”

“Dobby, who might be able to get it at Hogwarts?” Harry asked the elf.

“The house-elves only, Harry Potter, sir, it is being for house-elves only. We is making sure all is well in the household. No-one here can use it, only elves and we’s not doing it.”

“Okay, Dobby, thank you. You can go now,” Hermione said quickly, before the elf could go into any further raptures.

Harry was initially angry, but the way Dobby described the potion - as an elf’s guide to household harmony - the Masters never knew it was used on them, and by the time they did, they were grateful for the help. Harry and Hermione sat on the information for several days, which was when Hermione asked Harry if Draco and he were having problems at some point. Harry vaguely remembered that he and Draco were having some issues after Harry revealed that he was Anton, and that they had a meal that was served by Draco’s personal elf. He suddenly realised that it was probably when it happened, since Dobby said that it was a Malfoy tradition.

Harry wondered what exactly they discussed that night when the potion was introduced to his food. Had Draco remembered the dream-inducing potion yet, and realized that he had sex with Harry? Draco didn’t seem to be acting oddly around Harry, so it was possible that he didn’t know. However, Draco was the master of keeping his emotions in check if he needed to. It was time to confront Draco with the potion and see what he had to say about it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco knew that things were going too smoothly in his life to not feel a little apprehensive when Harry asked to speak to him privately in the Room of Requirement. He had a feeling that he knew what the conversation would consist of, mainly because he noticed that Harry was being especially quiet lately. Of course, now that he knew that Anton was Harry, he noticed that he was usually quiet, anyway. Draco still didn’t know what to think of Harry, or how to reconcile the side of Harry that he saw during band practice and the typical Gryffindor that he saw in his daily life.

When Harry sat down before him, after casting several silencing wards and spells, Draco suddenly felt a little nervous. He just hoped that Harry wasn’t breaking up with him; he knew it would devastate him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sat across from Draco for several minutes before he began speaking. “I know that something happened between us, Draco. It took me a while to figure out what it was, luckily Hermione is very smart, and Dobby knows your family quite well.”

Draco began to interrupt, but was stopped when Harry lifted his hand to silence him.

“I know that this apparently is what house-elves do for pure-blood families, and apparently it is always used without their Masters’ knowledge. What I want to know is why it seems like a dream, and why I can’t remember it. It was my first time, Draco; I want to remember it.”

Draco cleared his throat, flushing slightly at Harry’s words. “I am so sorry, Harry. Mipsey meant well, honestly!” he exclaimed hurriedly. “She was worried when I seemed angry at you when you told me you were Anton and wanted to help us like she did for Mother and Father when she was their personal elf. She thought we belonged together, and she thought the potion would help us. Please don’t make me give her clothes, I have had her since I was a baby and as odd as it sounds, I kind of love her in a strange way.”

Harry smiled at Draco’s hurried explanation. He couldn’t believe that he had somehow coaxed Draco Malfoy into admitting that he kinda loved a house-elf. He wasn’t going to comment on it, because Draco looked clearly embarrassed by his admission.

“I am not going to ask that of you, Draco. I actually find it interesting that she thought we belonged together enough to help. I _am_ upset I don’t remember, though,” Harry said with a sigh.

Draco smiled slightly and moved slowly across the room to the couch that Harry was sitting on and sat down nervously. “Actually, now that you remember that it happened and know about the potion, it should come back to you in the next couple of nights. That’s what happened to me. If not, then I can see if Mother will send Father’s Pensieve and I can put my memory in it for you to view. It was amazing.”

Harry smiled and leaned over to rest his head on Draco’s shoulder, sighing again softly. “I didn’t think I was ready for that, yet. Now it is all I can think about. I have known about it for about a week or so now, but I didn’t know what to think. I was initially angry, but after I talked to Dobby… I didn’t know if I should be angry, or grateful that your elf thought that we should be together badly enough to use it.”

Draco reached up with his other hand and petted Harry’s hair softly. “We can re-enact it any time that you want, Harry. I would rather it be something you remember forever instead of something that didn’t actually happen. I… actually have a confession to make. I have only done it once before you, and the relationship wasn’t very long. Apparently, he just wanted to say he slept with me, and tried to dump me afterwards. Luckily, when he tried to dump me, he started bragging how he was going to tell everyone he took my virginity, so I obliviated his memory of it. So, you could actually say that in a way, my first time with anyone was, or will be with you.”

“Wow; that is just horrible. I can’t believe that someone could be so cruel. What happened to him afterwards?”

“Well, I was a little mean toward him, of course. When he tried to sleep with me again, I told him that I would never sleep with him, ever. He was quite embarrassed. I was lucky when I was a child, that my father taught me several important survival spells. I was glad that one of them was the Memory Charm.”

“Yeah. I didn’t have that luxury, being that I was with magic-hating Muggles for all of my life. I hate going back there; they treat me like their personal slave. Do the dishes, weed the garden, and clean up the house. It never stops! When I am not done with what they perceive to be enough work, they deny me food. It’s a wonder I actually survived to Hogwarts' age.”

Draco looked at Harry sadly. That was the first time he had heard some of the extent of what Harry had gone through. He knew now that his Muggle relatives didn’t treat Harry well at home. After years of being told he was treated like a prince, his eyes were opened. It was probably why Draco had identified with Harry so much. They were a lot alike, in more ways than one.

“I wish I had known. I can’t tell you how many years that we were told that you were living the ultimate life. Severus was always telling us you were fine. Of course, he was getting that information from the Headmaster, and obviously, the Headmaster didn’t know or something, ’cause he was wrong.”

Harry nodded. “I was embarrassed at first. I did try to tell him once or twice. Even Ron and the twins told him that I had bars on my window and was being starved. When Ron told Mrs Weasley, she said something along the lines of, ‘If you do that again, I will put bars on _your_ window’. I don’t think at the time she even believed Ron. Of course, the next summer Mrs Weasley started sending me food over the holidays. Maybe she found out the truth, or maybe she just wanted to make sure I didn’t starve.”

Draco sighed, hearing the pain and suffering in Harry’s voice and cuddled close to him, placing his arm around him in comfort. “It’s okay now, Harry. I won’t let anything happen to you. You could come and stay with Severus and me if you like, this summer. He’s my Godfather, so I thought I would stay with him. We can help you train some more, and hopefully we can end this war. I am tired of living in fear for my life. It’s one of the main reasons that I am almost glad my father is gone. He can’t force me to be something I am not.”

Harry smiled for a moment, and then sighed softly. “I am glad too. I wouldn’t want to face you on the battlefield and have to decide if I want to kill you or not. I don’t think I could.”

“Don’t worry, Harry. I couldn’t do it either. You have been a part of my life for seven years now, and now that I have you, I don’t want to let you go.” As he said that, Draco leaned over and gently kissed Harry. It was a soft exploration of mouths, fused together in comfort for several moments before Draco let out a soft moan.

Turning his upper body more toward Draco, Harry continued kissing him. Harry couldn’t help thinking that Draco was such a great kisser. As the kiss turned more passionate, Draco lifted his right hand and rested it on Harry’s cheek, their chests pressed together, and Harry’s hand caressing Draco’s back. Both let out heartfelt moans, when they ended up falling down onto the couch, rubbing their erections against each other.

After several minutes of frotting against each other, kissing like their lives depended on it, both Draco and Harry gasped, each realizing that they needed a shower due to the cum that was now seeping through the front of their pants. Neither really cared about it and Harry rested comfortably on Draco’s chest, sighing happily.

Draco was the first to speak, and it was a soft whisper in Harry’s ear. “That was really nice.”

Harry looked up into Draco’s eyes. “Yeah, I think we may have to do that again, preferably with no clothes on.”

Draco grinned. “Most definitely. I would love to see you naked again. You have a nice body.”

Harry blushed slightly; he was just glad that he was starting to get taller and more filled out with the nutrient potions that Snape was giving him. His many hours of Quidditch were now giving him the body that he always wanted, though with the potions, he was getting a bit too big to play Seeker anymore. It was a good thing that Harry had decided to give the honour to Ginny this year. Gryffindor wasn’t too happy that Harry had decided not to play, but he convinced them that he needed to focus on his studies this year. Severus even promised to use his experimental potion on him when he had tested it on some of Harry’s blood. He said it was a precaution for Harry’s sake, due to his curse scar and other characteristics, that it would be best to test the blood’s reaction first. Harry was wary of giving away his blood, but he knew he could trust Snape with it. Even if Severus were an expert at Blood Magic, he wouldn’t try to use the blood to try to control Harry. Severus might not be a nice man most of the time, but he trusted him.

Harry and Draco cleaned up, and continued cuddling for a while before making their way downstairs for band practice. Overall, it was a good day all around.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus had to admit that, for the first time in his life, his existence had taken a turn for the better. He had a potential lover, a place to sing, and was doing something he really enjoyed. If it weren’t for the Dark Lord still running around, Severus’ life would be perfect. After he practised several songs with the band, he sat and listened to them intently. He had to admit that Harry had gotten his talent from his mother in spades.

He had decided, after careful consideration, to invite Harry to his office to let him view some of his memories of Lily. He had learned through Draco that no one had ever told Harry much about his mother at all. It was almost as if she didn’t exist anymore to the people that she had loved and thought she had meant so much to. Lily had been Severus’ best friend since he was a young child, and had many fond memories of her.

Once practice was over, he pulled Harry aside and invited him to his office for a talk. He had several things to discuss with him, as well as the memories that he wanted to share with Harry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was slightly shocked when he followed Professor Snape down to his dungeon office as he didn’t actually stop in the office, but walked up to a door that Harry had never seen before and opened it.

“This way, Mr. Potter,” Severus said as he held open the door. Once they were inside, he re-warded the room with its normal charms and wards. “This is my private sitting room that is linked to my office. I wish to discuss things that have no business being heard by prying ears.”

Harry nodded, understanding completely that some things did call for privacy. He also had a feeling that he knew what the subject of the conversation was going to be for the day. However, Harry was mostly wrong in his assumptions.

“Harry, what do you know or remember of your mother?”

Harry looked at him confused for several minutes. “What do you mean, sir? I mean, the Dementors showed me her death, but other than that, the Mirror of Erised, and when she came out of Voldemort’s wand, I don’t know much about her otherwise. Most just tell me I have her eyes and that she was kind but fiery. All of that sounds kind of a contradiction if you ask me.”

“Well, Harry, you may not know this, but for many years, your mother and I were best friends. We met when we were young children. I have decided that it is high time you learned something more about your mother. You seem to have much more in common with her than you do your father. For which, I must say, I am very grateful.”

Harry nodded, clearly aware of what his father had done to Snape over the years, so he didn’t comment about that. “What can you tell me about her? I have been asking people for years.”

“How about I show you, instead? I pulled several memories that I think would interest you. The day your mother and I met, when I told her she was a witch. The day our Hogwarts' letters came, and she finally believed that she was a witch. I pulled one of her intense practicing sessions with her violin, and several others. I will be right here while you view them. If you have any questions, just ask.”

Harry nodded, almost in tears as he realized that he would finally see his mother for the first time for real. He had often wondered what she would be like now. Knowing what she was like as a child would help complete a puzzle for Harry.

“Thank you, sir. I really appreciate this, more than you will ever know.”

Severus nodded and directed Harry toward the Pensieve that was sitting in the middle of the room. “I have already put the memories inside. You may start at any time.”

Harry nodded, too choked up to speak, and leaned into the Pensieve. Harry instantly recognized his Aunt Petunia, despite all the changes in her appearance; the expression on her face looked remarkably, like the one she usually wore when around him, as though she smelt something thoroughly unpleasant which she didn’t want to deal with.

After several moments, he continued to look around, and identified his mother, who was talking to a little black-haired boy, that Harry instantly recognised as a young Severus Snape, trying to make friends with Lily by telling her that she was a witch. Lily obviously didn’t believe in witches, but she seemed to humour Severus.

Petunia was instantly mad at her sister for talking to the freaky boy that lived down the lane, and tried to get Lily to leave him alone. She called him several names, before Lily stood up to her sister and told her to leave her friend alone. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Harry saw many more memories that afternoon. He saw her excited to find out that Severus was right about her being a witch when her Hogwarts letter came. The first time she rode a broom, which made Harry laugh, as she was a bit like Hermione in that respect. It didn’t take Harry but a moment to realize that his Quidditch skills came from his father.

He saw her first Potions lesson, where she was partnered with Severus, and saw that his mother and Severus had a great love of the subject. He saw her first Charms lesson, where, like Hermione, she got levitation right on the first try.

Harry lost count of how many memories he saw that day, but he knew that he would be grateful to Severus for showing them to him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While Harry was viewing memories, Severus was making a training schedule for Harry and Draco. Between Draco’s Quidditch, band practice, and studies, there wasn’t a lot of time. Luckily, Harry had dropped a couple of classes last year, and he had several free periods during the day when Draco didn’t. So, he decided to schedule what he could together, and use Harry’s free periods for independent study in subjects that he thought would be useful.

Dumbledore had finally given him permission to do what he could to prepare the boy, since Harry was running out of time. He needed to prepare him as much as possible for the final battle. Severus just hoped that he could teach him enough to make sure Harry survived.

When Severus had written his list, he noticed that Harry had finished viewing the memories,   and was crying. Severus was at a loss what to do, having been deprived of true comfort since he was a young child. However, he stood up, and walked over to Harry, awkwardly patting him on the back, clearly nervous at the prospect of touching Harry that way.

Severus recognized that Harry needed some comfort and he was the only one available. He felt that he had been more than generous in letting Harry see his memories of Lily, including the violin recital that she had given. He had also included the night he was almost killed by Remus. It gave him the creeps, but he figured that as much as he had hated James Potter, Harry deserved to see his father as something other than a bully for a change.

As Harry recovered from the overload of raw emotion, he looked up into Severus’ eyes and smiled. “Thank you, sir, I appreciate being able to see them. More than anything in the world, I have always wanted to know my parents. It is probably the best gift I have ever received.”

Severus cleared his throat, making sure to blank his expression as he moved toward his seat and sat down. “You are welcome to view them again, if you like. I would not mind. Perhaps, if I recall some memory that I think you will find interesting, I will add to the collection. I am glad that I could help you learn more about your mother. She was my best friend for many years. I miss her dearly.”

Harry nodded and smiled. “I appreciate that, sir. I wish I had really known her. My relatives were not nice to me growing up. I am glad that I never have to see them again. They treated me worse than a house-elf, which says a lot about their character.”

Severus still wasn’t used to the fact that Harry was abused growing up. He had made so many terrible assumptions in the last seven years. At least he was trying to make up for it now.

“I am sorry that I didn’t think to warn Dumbledore not to place you with them. I remember Petunia well, and she was a horrible young woman last I knew her. At the time, I was mourning the loss of my best friend, and my part in the whole disaster. I had no idea that he would attack your parents. You must believe me that even if I had hated your father, I would have never let her suffer if I could help it.”

“I believe you, Professor. It’s okay now. No one will ever treat me like that again.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco didn’t exactly know what to feel today. He had received a letter from his mother saying that she was going into hiding at one of their little known homes in the Far East. She, of course, didn’t mention the location, but Draco knew which one she was talking about. It was one that they purchased after the end of the last war, and it was an ancient and well-protected home. The only problem was that she wouldn’t be able to contact him often, which left Draco alone for the first time in his life.

Of course, it could be reasoned that as long as he had Harry, he wouldn’t be completely alone, but Draco had always been extremely close to his mother. Harry had been remarkably supportive once Draco told him, but he was bemused by Draco’s altered behaviour. Draco seemed subdued, and didn’t really act like the young man that he had started to fall completely in love with.

Sitting by the lake again, Hermione and Harry sat down to talk about Draco’s situation.

“He’ll be alright, Harry,” Hermione assured Harry. “Just give him time, and be there for him. He needs that, he’ll be his old self soon enough.”

“I can try. I know that makes sense and that he’s really hurting at the moment,” Harry agreed. “It can’t be easy for him with his father dead and his mother away.”

“No, I would imagine not,” she replied. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay. Just a bit down, really. I hate seeing him this way.”

“I know you do.You need to let him know that, though. Knowing you are there for him will really help.”

Getting to his feet, Harry held his hand out for her to grab onto, and hauled Hermione to her feet. “What would I do without you? Come on, let’s go find him.”

It took a good month for Draco to begin to start acting like himself again, and it was mainly Harry that helped him to that place in his life. It took quite a bit of convincing, but Harry reasoned that at least Draco knew his mother was safe, and he could concentrate on surviving the war without worrying if his mother was dead or alive.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Voldemort sat in the library of Lestrange Manor, observing the messenger that had been sent by one of his lieutenants. He had recently learned that Narcissa Malfoy had gone underground after her husband's death. This, of course, meant that Voldemort had lost all access to the Malfoy fortune. The loss of funds went unnoticed for quite some time, due to other sources of income, as the Malfoy heir slowly changed the permissions on his family vaults. He had told the goblins that any withdrawals had to have his explicit permission, his magical signature, and something else: a ‘something else’ that Voldemort couldn't get out of his human source.

Voldemort was understandably angry, and since he had a body in front of him, he cast Crucioon him for several minutes before telling him to get out of his sight. His plans were going to hell in a hand basket. He was tired of having his plans disrupted, though a particularly bright side to the situation was that he had found out that Dumbledore was not well, and was stepping down as Headmaster of Hogwarts. It was rumoured that he may not live much longer. If Dumbledore died, there would be nothing to stop him from taking over the world, certainly not that insipid child, Harry Potter.

He still couldn't figure out how Potter had eluded him all these years. It was as if the boy had the most incredible luck known to wizarding kind. It also didn't help that since his possession of the Potter boy, he had felt something was off with the boy. Though the boy seemed to want to destroy him, he felt the pity for him that Voldemort didn't want from him. He didn't need any pity from anyone.

It was time to think of a new plan to get the Potter boy out of the castle. Perhaps it was time to capture one of those redheaded Weasleys that Potter was so fond of. _However, ‘Which one?’ was the question. It had to be one of the adults, unless he could get one of the children from a Hogsmeade visit._ It was a distinct possibility that it would be easier to follow that route. Voldemort, if he liked anything, liked to find an easier way to doing things.

It was time to summon one of his inner circle, the person closest in proximity to the Potter boy, Severus Snape.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus was busy kissing Remus when he felt the intense pain from his Dark Mark. He wasn't sure that he could do anything other than respond. He had received some information that the Dark Lord might suspect that he had betrayed him, but he could tell that the summons was for him alone. Usually Voldemort felt the need to show off, and if he was indeed suspicious, he would have summoned the entire Dark army.

Severus placed one last kiss on Remus' lips, and schooled his face to show no emotion.

“I must go, Remus. The Dark Lord is summoning me.” Severus walked to his bookcase, and tapped it with his wand. Seconds later, a giant potions shelf appeared. Severus grabbed several potions off the shelf, and turned to Remus, who was standing there stunned.

“Must you go? What about the rumour that he was suspicious of you?” asked Remus.

“The summons is just for me. If the Dark Lord were going to kill me, then he would be calling the entire Dark army. I will be fine. I am sure of it. I know the difference between the calls to know. I may find myself Crucio'd quite a bit, but I doubt he will kill me tonight. It is hard to ignore a personal summons.”

Remus nodded and though he looked worried, he knew that Severus was more than capable of taking care of himself. If there was one person that he could count on in a fight, it would be Severus Snape. Severus was the ultimate warrior, and Remus was proud to know him.

“Be careful, Severus. I know you always are, but I don't want to lose you, now that I have you.”

Severus nodded. “I feel the same, Remus. I will see you as soon as I am able.”

Severus quickly exited the room and hurried out of the castle to answer the summons, hoping that his normally keen instincts were correct, and that he would return alive from this encounter with the Dark Lord.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus arrived at Lestrange Manor,   and repressed a shudder at the rush of dark magic that trickled along his skin as he crossed the wards. He had never liked this place, and it seemed to get darker and more evil with each passing year. It didn't seem to matter that the house had stood unoccupied for a number of years while the Lestranges were in prison. With the Dark Lord now occupying the Manor, the building was fast becoming one of the vilest and most nauseating houses in the world.

Severus went directly to where his Mark led him, which was the largest library in the Manor. Behind the desk, Voldemort seemed almost like a sane member of the Wizarding world, the one that he had once met a long time ago when he was a foolish young man.

“You summoned me, My Lord?” Severus inquired as he bowed his head in the usual manner of respect that the Dark Lord requested. Normally, he would have to bow and scrape for a sliver of attention, but since the Dark Lord was behind a desk, it made such actions impossible.

“Yessss, Severussss,” Voldemort hissed. “I have need of your intelligent mind, and your keen observation skills. I need to know which of the Weasleys Potter favours the most. I assume it would be the youngest two? Which one would you think would make him come for me the quickest?”

Severus should have expected this plan of action at some point, but it actually caught him off guard. He considered before he answered, but he knew that he would have to inform the members of the Weasley family as soon as possible. He also knew that telling the truth,   would better serve his purposes in the end to continue to feed information to the Order.

“I would say that the Potter brat values the youngest son the most. The brat had the youngest Weasley male as the thing he would miss most in the Triwizard Tournament, so I doubt that has changed much in the intervening years. They always seem to be stuck together like glue, no matter how hard anyone tries to pry them away from each other.”

“Just as I suspected. I had actually thought it might be the girl, but apparently, you think otherwise. Why is that, Severus?”

“I would have agreed with you before last term. However, Potter has removed himself from her presence. I haven't noticed them near each other the entire school year. She seems to be dating someone else now.”

Voldemort considered Severus' words very carefully. It was possible that Severus might be lying, but he knew that Severus was telling the truth. His spies in Hogwarts had given him the same information.

“Very well, leave me now. I must plan,” Voldemort said, turning toward the unshielded window and peering into the moonlight.

Severus bowed,   and backed out of the room cautiously, surprised that he made it out of the room without being Crucio'd into insanity, albeit it being a temporary state. He quickly made his way out of the Manor and Apparated back to Hogwarts. He had a report that he needed to give to the Headmaster. The Weasley family was in great danger; if anything happened to them, the impact would send Harry into a tailspin.

Severus knew that his days as a spy were over, unless there was a way to send the Weasley family underground without alerting Voldemort. He would know more when he spoke with the Headmaster.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dumbledore wasn’t surprised that yet another family was to be put in danger because of Voldemort and his quest to kill Harry. Of course it wasn’t the boy’s fault, but it seemed that trouble always followed him. When Harry was informed of the possible capture of Ron, he begged the Headmaster to forbid him to go to Hogsmeade for any reason.

Dumbledore tried to assure him that it was imperative that Ron be shown to be following his normal patterns. If Ron didn’t show up, then Severus would no longer be useful to the Order as a spy, and that would be a bad thing. Harry was still quite upset, but as he calmed down, he suggested that perhaps one of the Order members might disguise themselves as Ron. Dumbledore thought it was something that may work, but the problem was that after an hour, the potion would wear off, and Voldemort would know that Severus had told someone.

Harry mentioned his special Glamour that could only be removed by a spell known only to him would be a good alternative to Polyjuice. All they needed was an order member who was approximately Ron’s size, and the rest would be fixed by the spell. Dumbledore promised to see what he could do, and since they had several weeks before the next Hogsmeade weekend, he would look into other alternatives to keeping Ron safe.

Harry felt very uncomfortable with the possibility that Dumbledore would just let the real Ron be captured. He began to wonder if the Headmaster was still able to function as the leader of the light, or if his illness made him unfit to lead.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author Notes:** Well, Harry and Draco have a bit of fun, the Weasley’s are in trouble, Severus and Remus’ relationship is moving along, and Voldemort has an evil plan. The plot thickens.


	11. Courting, Classes, Nagini, and Spies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise goes a courting, Nagini gets a surprise, new classes are added, and spies do spy things.

**Bane of my Existence**

**By Dream Howler**

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author Notes:** Well, sorry it has taken so long to get this out. I have had several bouts of writers block last year that made it hard to write a chapter last year. Thanks for reading and for your patience.

**Author Thanks:** Thanks to Keikokin, Yvette, and Gabby for helping me, beta read this chapter. 

**Copyright Notice:** This plot/story is ©2004 - 2013 by Dream Howler. This story is the sole property of its author, and may not be copied, in whole or in part, or posted on any other website without the written permission of the author. As for the characters and anything you recognize from the books that are in this story, they are the property of J.K. Rowling. I am not receiving money for writing this story, and have no money for any lawyers to take should they decide to sue me. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Chapter 10 Recap:**

Remus has been taking the potions that Severus has given him for several months now, and Severus realized that he had almost created a cure for Werewolves. All Severus had to do was figure out what essential ingredient was missing from the potion, with some further testing, and he would have a cure for Remus. If he succeeded, he would be more famous than the person that invented the Wolfsbane Potion himself. Severus is especially pleased with himself.

Harry eventually found out that he and Draco had dream sex due to a potion. Harry wasn't very happy to learn that the house-elves in the Malfoy family used it often to settle disputes between their Masters, so it shouldn't have been much of a shock that it was used. Draco told him about his past sexual experiences, and promised Harry that they could re-enact the dream at any time he wished.

Severus accepted that Harry was not the young man that he thought he was, and allowed him to see some of his memories of Harry's mother. Harry was extremely grateful to him, and Severus felt out of his element when Harry started crying. 

Draco's mom went into hiding, and Voldemort found out that he no longer had access to the vast Malfoy fortune. When he summoned Severus to step up his plans, Severus had to inform Dumbledore that Ron Weasley would be kidnapped at the earliest opportunity. Harry had a hissy fit when Dumbledore didn't seem like he cared if Ron was kidnapped or not. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

**Chapter 11 - Courting, Classes, Nagini, and Spies**

The last several weeks before the Hogsmeade weekend where Ron was slated to be kidnapped, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were constantly talking among themselves in the Room of Requirement, trying to figure out a way to keep Ron out of Voldemort's hands. It was obvious that Dumbledore wasn't working on the problem, or if he was, he was keeping Harry in the dark as usual. Harry had told Dumbledore that he was tired of being left ignorant of things that concerned him, but apparently, his words were ignored. 

Harry didn't seem to remember that Dumbledore was old, dying, and may have just forgotten. Since he thought he was being ignored, this of course, made Harry even angrier than usual. Harry didn't even think of going to the ex-Headmaster and reminding him of the dire situation that was about to befall Ron. After several long conversations with his friends, it was decided that Harry would cast his custom disguise spell on Ron, changing his appearance so he would not be captured. Then they would spread a rumour that Ron had gotten hurt, and was in the hospital wing for the weekend. 

Ron, of course, wanted to know how to cast the spell and how to counter it, but Harry refused to teach him. Ron, as usual, threw a spectacular anger fuelled tantrum. Ron had never been good at keeping his temper under control. Harry wasn't sure if it was because he was a red head, or if it was a Weasley trait. 

After he calmed down, Harry went on to explain to Ron that it took a lot of magical power to cast the spell and maintain it, and if Ron didn't have enough power to generate the spell, there was no telling what might happen to Ron as a side effect. After that, Ron finally agreed with Harry, trying to cast Harry's spell would probably be a bad thing after all. After all, Ron didn't want to become permanently disfigured if the spell backfired on him.

*~*~*~*~*~*

When the appointed Hogsmeade weekend came, and there was no word from Dumbledore, Harry proceeded with his plan. After a quick, non-verbal spell, Ron was able to join the student population as someone else entirely. Hermione had also pointed out that Harry and Hermione should be disguised as well. It wasn't a hard decision since it would be very suspicious that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were running around with someone new. Therefore, Harry became his alternate persona, Anton, and Hermione became a blonde with long flowing locks of hair. This of course, frustrated the Death Eaters that were supposed to be looking for Ron. 

Later that day, the Death Eaters came back to Voldemort empty handed, which caused Voldemort to lose his temper and fire several rounds of Crucio on his subjects. Luckily, one or two of them was able to pick up from several whispering students that Ron Weasley was in the hospital wing all weekend due to an accident. Voldemort wasn't happy since he had changed his plans last minute to capture all of the Golden Trio, and he was livid that his Potions master didn't inform him of the change. His Death Eaters stuttered that they were sure that the rest of the trio must be at Hogwarts since they didn't see either of them in Hogsmeade either. However, Voldemort's anger was not appeased by this information, and gave them leave to go with a warning to try again the next Hogsmeade weekend.

Not only was Ron not in the hospital wing, but he was having a great time being someone else. Several girls had actually started flirting with Ron that had never paid attention to him before. It was an eye opening experience for Ron. Luckily, for him, he told each of them that he already had a girlfriend. If he hadn't, he was sure that somehow, he would end up talking to her about the situation and she would probably hex his balls blue. It didn't do well to piss off a Slytherin, and though Ron might sometimes be a bit slow on the uptake, he had learned that at a very young age.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Since his retirement, Dumbledore had actually forgotten about the incident involving young Ronald Weasley. He was living with his brother at the Hogs Head Pub so he could be close to the school, but it seemed that all he did these days was sleep. His only excuse was that he was cursed, dying, and old. His memory just wasn't what it used to be. Luckily, Harry had set up a plan and put it into action, leaving him to send someone to disguise themselves as Ron in the hospital wing just encase one of the Death Eater spies decided to check on the story. 

Of course, Harry didn't find out that he had helped until several weeks later. However, by that time, Harry and the Trio had concluded that Dumbledore couldn't be relied on anymore. He was just too sick in order to help with the fight anymore. Dumbledore had looked over to his constant companion for most of his adult life and sighed as he read the letter. He had held onto his post longer than he should have, but he just wanted to be around until the final battle. The way things were looking, he might not make it, but he would help as much as he could before he left for the next great adventure. He also resolved to try harder to counter the curse on his hand.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Albus Dumbledore arrived at the castle, seeking out Severus about his progress with the cure, but found Minerva instead. She was glad to see him, but he could tell that the strain of being Headmistress by herself was taxing her. Normally, the Deputy took over some of the duties of the Headmaster to make it easier for them to run the school. Since she was filling in both jobs, and still teaching, she was seriously exhausted. 

They both adjourned to the Headmistress's office and sat down. It felt odd that Minerva took the chair that he had once held for many years, but he had to realize that it wasn't his duty anymore. However, after working so many years with Minerva, he felt somewhat protective of her. 

"Minerva, you need to select a Deputy for yourself. You can't keep trying to do this job all by yourself and teach classes."

"I know, Albus. I just don't know whom to choose. I have been over every applicant and even some of the Professors here. The only one I know could handle the job is Severus, and he won't take it. He says he has a duty to train Potter. All I see him doing is singing with that band of Mr Malfoy's, but I suppose when they are alone, that he could be training the boy."

"He is indeed, Minerva. I asked him to train him after I had to leave Hogwarts. I realized that the boy needs to survive, and there is no way he will survive if he has to learn the limited arts taught here at Hogwarts. In fact, I have several ideas to improve the curriculum if we can get the board to agree. I thought about some of them seriously for the last several years, but I didn't see the need for them at the time. With the second coming of the war, I thought several new classes should be taught."

"Like what, Albus?"

"Well, some of these have nothing to do with the war, but I thought they may be helpful to make a more rounded curriculum. We have nothing for kids that do not excel at sports. Even if we don't add them as real classes, I think we could perhaps start some clubs as the Muggles call them. A Muggle self-defence class would be good. I have often heard Mr Potter remark that Wizards wouldn't know what to do with themselves if their wands were lost. I was also thinking of a couple of music classes. After I discovered Harry's little secret, I realized that I missed the music that used to flow through Hogwarts. I have a feeling that Professor Flitwick would love to be able to have a singing club. An art class perhaps or even just an art club wouldn't be remiss. I know Ms Lovegood has often remarked that it would be nice to know how to do all the magical portraits in Hogwarts. 

In addition, I think that we need a class for students that were raised in the Muggle world that is mandatory. I hate to say it, but so many Muggleborns go back to the Muggle World because they don't know how to get along in our world. It would be nice if we could prevent that, and help them adjust to their new culture, or learn to tolerate different beliefs." 

"You have indeed been thinking a lot, Albus. I agree that a self-defence class would be an important addition I could ask the board about. It may be a tough sell with the board since it is one more thing Muggle. However, I am sure, if I could bring you with me, and maybe if the board agrees, I am assuming you would like to bring Mr Potter along? Perhaps they will listen long enough to realize that times are changing and we need every advantage in this war. I also agree that a class for the incoming Muggleborns would be a good idea. I always have to spend extra time with them, as they don't know the simple things that students raised in our world know. I also know that several of the teachers do not do this, and it makes the classes harder. Perhaps a class that teaches all the basics of each class wouldn't be remiss either."

"I agree, bringing Mr Potter sounds like an excellent idea. Let's ask him when we get a chance. Now, while I agree that Severus would be an excellent choice for the Deputy position, I think with the number of commitments she has, that perhaps Professor Sinistra would be a good choice. Most of her duties are at night or late afternoon, so she hasn't a lot to do during the day light hours so she has much more free time than most of the applicants."

"As you wish, Albus. I will ask her today."

Albus nodded. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to seek out Severus. I would like to know the status on his potion he is making for me."

Albus stood and started to walk toward the door. "Oh, by the way, Minerva, perhaps after you ask Mr Potter concerning the board meeting, could you ask him to put on another concert. I would like to see another one, just in case Severus is not successful at creating a cure. It would make me quite happy."

"Of course, Albus. Though I wish you wouldn't talk that way."

"Ahh, Minerva. There is no need to feel sorry for me, if Merlin is ready to take me on that next great adventure, I am ready."

*~*~*~*~*~*

When Harry was approached to go to a board meeting, he certainly didn't expect such a warm reception of the school board. He was welcomed and his opinion seemed to be valued. When questioned, the board members told him that a Potter had been on the Board of Governors for many generations until Harry's father had died. If Harry's father had lived, he would have taken his rightful place on the Board. Apparently, many of the positions on the board were hereditary. 

It stunned Harry so much that he found that he sat half the meeting confused because not one person had told him that he would one day inherit a position on the Hogwarts Board of Governors. However, on the bright side, it looked like several new classes were being added to the curriculum, provided they could find a teacher for them. When the Board of Governors asked Harry about the self-defence class, he was particularly vocal about it. He also advised the board that he knew someone who would be perfect to teach the class, but he was unsure if they could convince her. 

Prudence Oona was a half-blood witch whose father was a famous Martial Artist in the Muggle world. Harry had met her in a café that he had been lingering in before Professor Dumbledore took him away to acquire Professor Slughorn as a professor. That summer when he went to visit her at the café, she would amaze him with her knowledge of self-defence and even taught Harry a few things. She was a Master in her field, but it was hard to find a job in the field if she didn't want to be overshadowed by her famous father, so she worked part-time at the café and worked part-time as an instructor at a small Muggle youth centre.

*~*~*~*~*~*

With the Board's permission, Harry was able to go on a quick road trip to Muggle London with Professor McGonagall. When Harry walked into the café, he was hoping that Prue was on duty that day. He hadn't talked to her since the summer, but he was sure that she was supposed to work that day. He was suspicious that she was a witch the first day they met, when she saw the Daily Prophet in his hands, and hadn't asked about the pictures in the paper moving, though he was sure she saw them. He had shrugged off the feeling the first time because he thought she was a Squib, as he was sure that the newspaper was probably charmed not to allow Muggles to view the moving pictures. 

However, the next time he came back to see her, he caught her red handed. He was the only one in the shop that morning, when all of a sudden Harry saw a wand sneak out of her pocket, and the large spill a man had just left was gone. She hadn't realized that she had been caught since she was pretending to mop up the spill, but when Harry mentioned it to her; she denied it at first. She finally confessed that she was a witch, to which Harry grinned and told her that he was a wizard. They started up a wonderful friendship at that point.

Leaning over the counter was Prue; she was pretending to clean off the counter, while she magically cleaned it. She was rather sneaky about her cleaning; it was only Harry's keen tingling feeling of all things magical that allowed him to spot her. He grinned and sat down in front of her, startling her slightly. 

"Harry, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I came to talk to you, is there a way you can take a break for a bit?"

"Well, I can ask the manager if it's really important."

"It is. I might have an opening for you that you may like."

"Opening? What are you talking about?"

"You'll see, just get some time to talk to me. I will be outside."

As Harry walked outside, he could hear Prue rushing behind the swinging doors of the café to talk to the manager. Several minutes later, Prue was outside waiting expectantly. "She said I had five minutes, so we might want to talk fast."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Professor McGonagall looked the young woman up and down for a moment before speaking. She vaguely remembered the young woman before her; she had been a quiet Ravenclaw at the time she knew her. "We have a position for a self defence instructor opening at Hogwarts. Mr Potter said you may be interested."

Prue looked over toward Harry and her face lit up. "Really? I would be honoured to join the staff, Professor McGonagall. When can I start?"

"Well, even though we have already started the new school year, the Board has allowed us to make an exception and ask you to start after the New Year, if that is all right with you. We would advertise the class in the intervening weeks before Yule break, and have those that sign up ready for you at the beginning of January."

"That soon? Wow, I... Harry? Was this your idea?"

"Well, actually, it was Professor Dumbledore's idea to begin with. I was the one that suggested you to the Board, and they said to see if I can get you to join the staff."

Prue squealed and hugged Harry tight. "You have just made all my dreams come true, Harry! I will never forget this!"

Harry chuckled and smiled, hugging her back. "You are welcome, Prue. Just do a good job. I don't want them thinking they hired someone that didn't know what they were doing."

"Not a problem. Well, guess I can go tell Sarah that I quit, and arrange for someone to take over my classes at Halewood. I can't wait! Not having to hide my magic will be nice. There wasn't much call for a self-defence instructor in the magical world. I mean I could have done something else, but it was my first love. I should have gone with my first instincts and got a job in the Wizarding community, but dad convinced me that it would be better to use my skills here where they were more needed."

"Well, Ms Oona. I am glad that we could be of assistance. I hope that you will teach Mr Potter here all he needs to know to defend himself."

"Well, he already knows some; I started teaching him on my days off last summer. He just has to take his test, and he will be a yellow belt. Therefore, he will be in a different class than some of the other students, but I will make him a Master in no time. He is a very quick learner."

Professor McGonagall smiled at Harry. "Good, the more he learns, the better his chances are. Come along, Mr Potter. We need to get back to Hogwarts before your friends think you are missing. Ms Oona, please take this Portkey that will send you to the gates of Hogwarts. When you are ready to come to Hogwarts, just tap it with your wand and say teach, and it will bring you to the school. It was nice to see you again, Ms Oona."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall. I really appreciate this opportunity. I will make sure to have a schedule made up for the beginner's, and more advanced classes on your desk by the end of Christmas break."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus and Anton sat in the practice room right before Yule break, attempting to put music to song that Severus had written, and Anton had to admit he was surprised that Severus had came up with it. He had no idea that his Professor felt that way. It was a wakeup call for Anton. Severus wanted the world to know to keep fighting, to keep their head held high in the coming battles. Severus called it The Climb.

I can almost see it.  
That dream I'm dreaming, but  
There's a voice inside my head saying  
You'll never reach it  
Every step I'm takin'  
Every move I make  
Feels lost with no direction,  
My faith is shakin'  
But I, I gotta keep tryin'  
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose  
Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side  
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing  
The chances I'm taking  
Sometimes might knock me down, but  
No I'm not breaking  
I may not know it, but  
These are the moments that  
I'm gonna remember most, yeah  
Just gotta keep goin',  
And I, I gotta be strong  
Just keep pushing on, 'cause

There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose  
Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side  
It's the climb

Yeah

There's always gonna be another mountain  
I'm always gonna wanna make it move  
Always gonna be an uphill battle  
Somebody's gonna have to lose  
Ain't about how fast I get there  
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side  
It's the climb

Yeah, yeah yeah

Keep on movin'  
Keep climbin'  
Keep the faith baby  
It's all about, it's all about the climb  
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa, whoa, oh. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Right before the Yule Holidays, Harry, Draco, and Severus were off practicing with the band for their upcoming Yule Concert. While the boys were occupied, Hermione decided to address the Blaise situation. Hermione still hadn't told Blaise that she knew that he was her suitor. The fact that she was even being considered as a pureblood's wife was a great accomplishment for a Muggleborn. The rest of the Hogwarts female population was already jealous of the wonderful gifts that had been already sent to her. She only hoped that she lived up to his expectations of her.

Privately, she went to Professor McGonagall, and asked her to be her chaperone for the first meeting that had been arranged. Her Professor was thrilled to be asked, and told Hermione that he was a good boy, despite being a Slytherin. She had always thought well of him, and he was a good student.

The meeting took place at the next Hogsmeade weekend. Blaise had rented a private room at the inn, and with their chaperone in tow, they had a quiet dinner. Blaise found it funny that Hermione had known so long about his identity and never said anything. He knew he had chosen well when he had decided to court her. Who wanted a dull pretty wife with no brains, when he could have the prettiest, smartest witch he knew with a brain to match his own. 

The meeting was a complete success on both parts, and they arranged to meet again at the next Hogsmeade weekend, and agreed on several study sessions where they would be in the company of Professor McGonagall in her classroom, or in the library, supervised by Madam Pince. Until they finalized the plans for the marriage, they would be chaperoned by an adult in some fashion.

Blaise for his part had already made up his mind the moment he started to court her. He found her pretty, intelligent, and besides all of that, she was a good political move. He didn't mention that to her that being Harry Potter's best friend swayed the scales in her favour. He was too Slytherin to let her know that he had originally set his sights on her because of who she was friends with. 

It no longer mattered to him whom she was friends with because after they started talking, he fell a little more in love with her the longer he associated with her. She was a joy to be around, even if she was a little bossy sometimes. Privately, she reminded him of his mother, he just hoped that she didn't plan to dispose of him, as his mother seemed to do with her own husbands. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

After Yule break found Harry with the busiest schedule that since he started school that year. On the weekends, he had Karate class in the mornings from eight to noon with Prue. He had potions, spells, and defence with Snape from one to four. That didn't count evening band practice, and any of the other classes he was now taking, and dates with Draco. Harry was beginning to wonder if he would even survive school, let alone defeat Voldemort. Luckily, the only Horcrux that they had left was Voldemort's snake, and Severus was slowly feeding the snake poison to kill her in time for the final battle.

With everything going according to plan, Harry felt a bit better, but since he had no idea when the final battle would be, he hoped that with everything he held dear that the snake would be dead by then. There had been whispers that the battle would be soon, but no one really knew except for Voldemort himself. Severus informed him that Voldemort was very upset that he couldn't find anyone close to Harry to capture and torture for his amusement. 

When Harry heard that, he was more determined to learn more than ever. If the battle was coming soon and Voldemort was after his friends, then he needed to be able to put an end to him as soon as possible.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus stalked through Riddle House as if he owned the place, which made several of the lower ranked Death Eaters scatter out of his way. Tonight would be the final dosage for the snake. It would die peacefully in its sleep if all went according to plan. He would make his weekly report on Potter's activities, and give the snake its last dose and it would be dead. In its place, the potion and spell would create a living replica of the snake, with no Horcrux. Voldemort shouldn't notice the difference because the replica would act the same as the real snake. It was a very clever spell that he had come up with. Too bad, he hadn't decided to become a spell writer instead of a potions master; perhaps he would be rich by now.

After several bouts of the Crutiatus Curse for not having the valuable information that Voldemort sought, Severus breathed a sigh of relief as he was dismissed to go feed Nagini. It was odd that Voldemort had assigned him this duty on his weekends off from the school. It was the perfect opportunity to kill the snake. He was glad that the potion had a numbing effect that allowed the snake to fall asleep while the potion worked. While the snake was asleep, he would cast the needed spells to replicate the snake and pour a potion over the snake, which quickly absorbed into her body.

As he walked out of the room, he was glad to see the spell was a success. There was now a complete replica of the snake in the room, and its old remains quickly absorbed into the fake snake with no outward signs. Since Voldemort hadn't seemed to notice the other missing Horcruxes before now, it was surmised that he would not notice the one in his familiar was missing. Severus had tried to put the echo of his evil soul there, but he wasn't quite sure if that part succeeded. Hopefully, the Dark Lord wasn't able feel the snake's death. If so, he was in big trouble.

As he walked out of Riddle House, he wasn't attacked or stopped, so he hoped that he wasn't caught. However, he figured that any future calls from the Dark Lord should be ignored. No matter how good his Occlumency was, he was unsure if he could hide the glee of killing the snake from him.

***~*~*~*~*~***

Harry and Draco were sitting in the Room of Requirement, cuddling on the couch. It was a rare that they were able to spend time alone these days due to all the training and preparation for the war against Voldemort. Unfortunately, they only had ten more minutes of cuddling before they were both due at an extensive training session. Harry was learning how to combine spells to make them stronger, and do more than one thing. It was hard work, and Harry found the training extremely interesting. 

If he could learn how to do simple spell combining well, Professor Snape promised him that he would let him start trying to use more intense curses and hexes. Harry found the classes much more interesting than his normal ones, which was saying a lot. Professor Snape seemed impressed that Harry had learned to combine two simple spells in two weeks, apparently, it normally took longer, but Severus had always said secretly that Harry had a lot of innate power at his disposal. 

Sadly, the both of them couldn't figure out if this was because of the transfer of dark energy from Voldemort when he died, the prophecy, or if it was his own abilities caused by the prophecy. Harry often secretly wondered if he would be a Squib after defeating Voldemort. He never voiced the concern to anyone, but considering how many years of dark magic Voldemort had consumed, he may take Harry with him when he went, which Harry felt was a real possibility. He tried not to worry about it though; he didn't want his fears to become a reality.

***~*~*~*~*~***

Remus and Severus were sitting on the couch relaxing. Severus with a cup of Earl Gray tea, and Remus with a glass of Ogdon's old. It was just like Severus to drink tea when his companion was drinking something stronger, though to Severus's credit, he was sure he was going to be called tonight. Something in his bones twitched, it was almost like that feeling when someone has an injured leg and their leg aches when it's about to rain. 

Severus had a theory that the more you were exposed to the Cruciatus Curse, the more susceptible you were to its effects. Luckily, Severus had created a potion to lessen the lingering effects, but he still felt the twinges close to the time he was going to be called. 

"I don't like this feeling of yours, Sev. If it's correct and he has found out about the snake, or suspects you of being a spy, then you will be killed."

"Remus, I am always very careful when it comes to the Dark Lord. I didn't really even have to explain why I didn't inform him about the Weasley accident. If you recall, I had just popped over to Riddle House to feed his snake early so that I could assume my duties in Hogsmeade. Since I Apparated right from Hogsmeade, I had no idea that the Weasley boy had been hurt."

"I know, Sev. I just worry." 

Severus said as he ignored the comment to continue speaking. "As for the snake, even one of those Muggle procedures where they cut open the animal and look inside wouldn't tell that the snake had been poisoned. If it is discovered, the fake will simply die like the real one did, and it will look like it died of old age. On the off chance that Nagini's personality didn't come through, it can be explained away, since the snake will soon start to get sick, and will soon die."

Remus nodded, and reached out his hand to grasp Severus' hand. "I hope that it is so, Severus. I don't want you to die."

Severus smiled slightly and squeezed Remus' hand. "Do not worry, Remus. I will be fine. This was the one last thing I had to do. I will not ever have to return to him. My job as a spy is finished."

Remus smiled slightly and pulled Severus close. "I am very happy that part of your life is over, Sev."

Severus' mouth quirked slightly and he hugged Remus in return. "As am I."

***~*~*~*~*~***

One night at band practice, Severus told the band he had written another song. The one's he had written before now were really great, and they were eager to learn the song. When Severus started singing, the group was still a little bit mesmerized by his voice, but they listened intently. It was called As I Am.

Gonna stay in bed today  
Cause I can't stand the light  
Don't know why I get so down  
I won't be much fun tonight  
And I can't believe  
You still wanna hang around me

It's not so pretty all the time  
You don't mind  
To you it's all right

As I am  
Is how you take me  
Never try to push  
Or make me different  
When I talk, you listen to me  
  
As I am  
Is how you want me and  
I know I've found the piece that's missing  
I'm looking at him

I'm not the girl you think you see  
But maybe that's a lie  
You almost know me better than  
Me, myself and I  
Don't know a lot of things  
But I know what I got

It's not so perfect everyday  
I don't have to try  
Cause it all falls into place

As I am  
Is how you take me  
Never try to push  
Or make me different  
When I talk you listen to me

As I am  
Is how you want me and  
I know I've found the piece that's missing  
I'm looking at him

Face to face, eye to eye  
You're standing there  
Feels good on the inside  
I don't mind, I don't care  
You're standing there  
Seeing me for the first time  
Seeing me for the first time....

Harry had a feeling that this song was more personal than Severus let on, but he certainly didn't mention it. Just because they got along better now didn't mean that Severus didn't still have a legendary temper.

The song would definitely give the group a bit of diversity that they hadn't had before, which was always nice. The problem was, once the Professor decided that he wanted to leave the group and pursue his own musical career, they would be left trying to figure out how to replace the songs that he had already created. It was past time that Harry, Draco, and the rest of the band started creating some more songs. 

***~*~*~*~*~***

In between all his training sessions, Harry was practicing for the upcoming concert for Professor Dumbledore. Even though Harry was angry with him quite often, he often forgot that the man was dying, and was actually an old man by regular human standards. 

Professor Snape was still trying to find a potion or spell that would lift the curse on Dumbledore's blackened hand, but it was proving to be an enormous task especially since the ring had been destroyed with a Basilisk fang, and he didn't have the whole thing to study. When he informed the Dark Lord about Dumbledore's hand, laughing at the stupidity of the Headmaster, the Dark Lord had just laughed along with him, and told Severus that the old fool was stupider than he thought for personally handling that ring. 

When the pair had finished laughing, Severus waited anxiously for some sort of clue on how it was done. Usually, the Dark Lord loved to boast on how he got one over on people, sometimes going into great detail on how it was done. Much to the disappointment of Severus and Dumbledore, the Dark Lord didn't tell Severus anything about how it was done. All the Dark Lord would say was that it served him right for handling something that wasn't his to handle. This hindered the curing process greatly. Severus had secretly told Harry that he had concluded that Dumbledore had already given up on a cure, which didn't encourage him to keep trying, but he did. 

It took more than a dozen tries to make any progress on the potion to heal part of the damage to Professor Dumbledore's hand. Professor Snape mentioned that he had poured so many potions down Dumbledore's throat, he didn't even know which one would help, or if the combination of all of them would.

It was sad in a way, because being one of the top Potions Masters in the world, didn't mean a hill of beans if he couldn't cure the Head of the Light. Severus was at his wit's end trying to come up with a cure. If only he had been able to study the ring before it was destroyed, perhaps he would have been able to make a cure faster. As it was, it was a very slow process of research, planning, testing, and shear dumb luck. 

Severus had even enlisted Hermione's assistance in the matter, hoping that one or the both of them might come up with a cure. Severus had acknowledged that since Hermione had the top grades in all her subjects, and loved to be in the library anyway, that she was the perfect choice to help. He gave her an unrestricted pass to the Restricted Section, and hoped she would be able to find something he hadn't. 

Severus had even searched through the Black Library, and the Malfoy Library to see if he was able to find any information on Horcruxes and the Resurrection Stone. It wasn't surprising that the Malfoy and Black Library both had some information; however, there was nothing on how they were really created, or what really happens when a soul is imbedded into an animate object. He had even studied the books that Professor Dumbledore had removed when he became Headmaster, but even though they mentioned how to create a Horcrux, it didn't go into detail on what they really did to the objects. 

Professor Dumbledore told him all he knew about the objects, but between the three of them, they couldn't figure out what to do about the curse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Climb and As I am are by Hannah Montana aka Miley Cyrus ©2009 by the Disney Corporation. I love these songs, and once I heard them, I knew that it would be the perfect songs for Severus.


	12. Horcruxes, Nagini, Voldemort’s Plans, and surprising shocks.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horcruxes, Nagini, Voldemort’s Plans, and surprising shocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Notes: I am very sorry that it has been so long since I have posted. I started college in Feb 2015, and I have been so busy between school and work. I also had a couple of hard drive problems awhile back that made me lose 95% of what I had written. When I started trying to re-create it, the words were just not coming to me. When I started to lose another hard drive, a friend of mine helped me recover it, and the previous hard drive as well. I was so ecstatic, you wouldn’t believe. LOL! I really hope that this chapter was worth the wait!
> 
> Author Thanks: Thanks to Yvette for helping me, beta read this chapter. Yvette picked right up where she left off like we hadn’t gone years without speaking. I can’t thank her enough for agreeing to continue to beta read for me. Also, thanks to the Grammarly Software. Sometimes it is a little too helpful, but it has definitely helped me improve as a writer.
> 
> Copyright Notice: This plot/story is ©2004 - 2016 by Dream Howler. This story is the sole property of its author, and may not be copied, in whole or in part, or posted on any other website without the written permission of the author. As for the characters and anything you recognize from the books that are in this story, they are the property of J.K. Rowling. I am not receiving money for writing this story, and have no money for any lawyers to take should they decide to sue me.

**Bane of my Existence**

**By Dream Howler**

**Chapter 12: Horcruxes, Nagini, Voldemort's Plans, and surprising shocks.**

It wasn't a surprise to Harry to learn that he had a Horcrux embedded into his scar. In fact, it made sense. Harry had always felt oddly around evil, and sometimes his scar bled when he was exposed to too much evil at one time. This also explained why he could speak Parseltongue because he was almost sure that the ability wasn't in his family tree. However, he was curious if he could find out for sure.

When Harry walked into his Saturday class with Severus, he was burning with curiosity. He asked Severus if he had ever heard his mother or father use the language, Severus tilted his head sideways and looked perplexed. "No, not that I was ever around to hear. I can, however, help with that particular matter. I have meant to discuss it with you. I disagree with the Headmaster when he says that "love," is the weapon that will kill the Dark Lord." Severus said with a sneer before he spoke again. "There is a potion that has some rather rare ingredients that will do a family tree that will list any particular talents that you and each family member had. It's hardly used anymore due to the precise nature of the ingredients."

"Are they rare ingredients?" Harry asked. "It's not as if I don't have money. If they can be bought, I am sure I can pay for it."

"Most of the ingredients are normal; however, the rarest ingredient is what makes the potion restricted. I would need to collect some of your blood."

Harry looked at Severus with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "So they banned the potion due to it using blood? Is all blood magic banned?"

Severus cleared his throat and shrugged. "Most yes, the only legal blood magic that is currently performed in the Wizarding World at this time are for adoptions. That ritual is heavily guarded by the Ministry and you are required to allow them to do it. The people that used the ritual are spelled into secrecy on how it was also performed. However, there are those among the Purebloods that know the secret from before the ministry had it concealed."

"Wow, that's weird. I wonder why they are so adamant about keeping it a secret."

"Well, blood is a very powerful ingredient, Harry. If used improperly or for evil purposes, it can make someone very ill, kill, or depending on the ritual, very powerful. I have always suspected that the Dark Lord used such rituals to steal more power before his earlier demise."

Harry nodded, looking worried. "Do you think he has used any of those rituals since he has returned?"

"I think at this point; he is probably lucky that he is standing. With every Horcrux that we have destroyed, he has looked weaker and weaker. That is most likely the reason he was having me feed Nagini. I think having parts of his soul destroyed has done more damage than we first anticipated. Though, he doesn't have a problem killing anyone, however."

Harry smiled slightly. "Well, that's good to hear that he appears to be weakened. Do you think he suspects they are being destroyed? The only problem now is how to get the one out of me to kill him for good."

Severus nodded. "As for if he suspects, no, I do not think so. He hasn't left the hideout for some time due to his increasing weakness, though only I seem to be able to tell that he is in a weakened state. The rest will work itself out if you went through with the potion. Hopefully, you may find out what talents you may be able to call on to do so. We would, of course, have to keep the potion a secret, even from the Headmaster, and especially your friends."

Harry nodded; he was filled with a little excitement, curiosity, and a mixture of fear and anxiety. "I don't think I could tell anyone about the potion anyway, someone could use it against me right?"

"Yes, if they turned you into the Ministry, they would take me in as well, and we would probably both spend time in Azkaban if we are lucky. Regardless of the consequences, I am positive that you will need this information. Let's get started. You don't have any classes today, and it's hours before curfew. The faster we get the potion done and apply it to parchment, the quicker we will achieve results." 

Harry nodded and followed Severus into his secret potions lab from his quarters. Perhaps, Harry would find some ability that would be useful. "Severus? Would it list my skills as well as my ancestors?"

"Of course, it starts with you at the bottom and works its way through your parents and backward on both sides. It will also tell you if your ancestors were Pureblood, Half-Blood, Muggle-Born, Squib, Muggle, full or part Creature."

"Creature? You mean if the person was not entirely human?"

"Yes, in other words, Werewolf, Veela, Vampires, Giants, etc." 

"Wow, I never thought to consider I may have non-human ancestors."

"Well, you already know I have a touch of Siren in my ancestry. Though how that is possible is beyond me. I can only assume that she used a human wizard to get pregnant, and then gave the child to the wizard to raise when it turned out to be a boy. Sirens are only female so a male child would be no use to her. Though, male children do sometimes get some Siren traits." Severus said.

"Yeah, we can only assume how that happened, we will never know."

"Indeed."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Voldemort had no idea what was wrong with his beloved snake Nagini. Some of her activities were normal; however, sometimes it was almost as if the snake was on autopilot. He had done several diagnostic spells on her and even had an animal healer come to look at her. The healer told him that the snake was in good health, regardless of the insistence by Voldemort that she was acting oddly. The animal healer had mentioned that perhaps their bond was weakened enough to make the snake seem to be acting strangely. 

When Voldemort summoned his magic to see if the bond was broken or weakened, he noticed no bond to his beloved familiar. How had he not felt the bond break? When he tried to re-establish the relationship, the snake curled up on itself and died. He was understandably distraught, especially since his familiar was dead, a part of his soul was now gone. In a fit of rage, he begin to throw around curses randomly, not caring who he killed. Sadly, for the animal healer, one hit him, killing him instantly. However, for once, the death didn't make him feel any better. 

He stood and retreated to his room after telling his Death Eaters to dispose of the bodies of the ones who he had hit with a curse. He walked toward his bookshelf and pulled out the copy of the book where he learned how to make Horcruxes. It was one of very few in existence; he had made sure of that. The only copies he didn't have were heavily warded in several personal libraries. He flipped through the well-worn pages, skimming the pages until he got to the appropriate passage:

> > _If you use a living host for a piece of your soul, the soul piece dies when the host dies. This is why it is recommended that any to cast this spell use inanimate objects due to the likelihood that they will not be destroyed and are easily hidden._

Voldemort cursed to himself and thought back to the day he had made Nagini a Horcrux. It was an accident though it was a way to tie the powerful magical snake to him. He had hoped after the fact that since the snake was young, strong, and healthy that he would not have to worry about the soul piece being destroyed before he could move it to another being or object. Now, it was too late. He had no idea how the soul bond had been broken between him and his familiar. Perhaps since he was too weak to feed her himself that she had broken the bond. Perhaps Severus would know what happened to his familiar. He would contact him on his minion's school break, it would be easier for him to get away without Dumbledore suspecting.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The special concert for Professor Dumbledore was supposed to be right after Yule break. This would give everyone a chance to get back to school before the concert, and give the children time to spend with their families. However, as the week of the show began, Professor Dumbledore was suddenly in the hospital wing. He had opted not to go to St. Mungo's though Madam Pomfrey had practically begged him to go. He had summoned his personal healer to the school, but there wasn't much he could do. Healer Laurent said that he would contact an expert in curses for him. However, since the private purpose of the concert was to give Professor Dumbledore some enjoyment since he was dying, the show was pushed forward a couple of weeks. 

When the day finally arrived, Severus took the stage a little apprehensively since the song he was about to sing was specifically aimed at Dumbledore to begin with. Severus had thought he would have the Ex-Headmaster cured by now, so he had saw no sense in not practicing the song. However, perhaps it was time to let Dumbledore know how he felt. He began to sing a song he titled: Numb.

> > I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
>  Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface  
>  Don't know what you're expecting of me  
>  Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes  
>  (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)  
>  Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
>  (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)  
>    
>  I've become so numb, I can't feel you there  
>  Become so tired, so much more aware  
>  I'm becoming this, all I want to do  
>  Is be more like me and be less like you  
>    
>  Can't you see that you're smothering me,  
>  Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?  
>  'Cause everything that you thought I would be  
>  Has fallen apart right in front of you.  
>  (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)  
>  Every step that I take is another mistake to you.  
>  (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)  
>  And every second I waste is more than I can take.  
>    
>  I've become so numb, I can't feel you there,  
>  Become so tired, so much more aware  
>  I'm becoming this, all I want to do  
>  Is be more like me and be less like you.  
>    
>  And I know  
>  I may end up failing too.  
>  But I know  
>  You were just like me with someone disappointed in you.  
>    
>  I've become so numb, I can't feel you there,  
>  Become so tired, so much more aware.  
>  I'm becoming this, all I want to do  
>  Is be more like me and be less like you.  
>    
>  I've become so numb, I can't feel you there.  
>  (I'm tired of being what you want me to be)  
>  I've become so numb, I can't feel you there.  
>  (I'm tired of being what you want me to be)  
> 

As Severus finished the song that he had debated on singing at the concert, he sighed. The crowd loved the song, but he still felt a little guilty. Dumbledore was dying, after all, perhaps he should have either warned him of what he was doing before he sang the song, or asked the band not to sing the song, but it was too late now.

He glanced out over the crowd, and even though the lights were shining in his eyes, he saw Dumbledore sitting on the front row, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. As he caught Severus looking at him, Dumbledore nodded, and for once, Severus actually realized that Dumbledore understood. That was all that Severus had ever wanted to see from his Mentor. 

He wasn't about to give up on Dumbledore's recovery plan, but he knew now that Albus regretted all the things he had asked Severus to do over the years to earn his freedom. That was the one thing that would stick to Severus the rest of his days. 

The rest of the concert flew by, and Severus was even kind enough to stick around for a little bit and sign autographs, which he hadn't done the previous show. Severus even chuckled when Albus came over with a Wizarding photograph that he was pretty sure Colin Creevy had taken and asked him to make it out to his friend Albus. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

The situation with the war had gotten worse, with the unsuitability of Grimmauld Place, the Headmaster had told Severus and Minerva of an ancient war room that Harry had discovered within Hogwarts. The day of the called meeting, the three youngest of the summoned group hurried in, out of breath. It seemed that they had run all the way to the meeting. Severus hoped that the three hadn't been followed. 

Severus called the meeting to order, much to the disgust of some of the members of the Order. Some of them had never trusted Severus due to his role as a spy. After he had spoken, Dumbledore rose from his chair, nodding to Severus to raise the War Wards, looking so old and frail, that the rest of the order quickly quietened down and looked at him. 

"My friends, I am sorry to say, that I must turn the daily running of the Order over to Severus and Minerva. My condition has robbed me of my vigour, and needless to say, I am spending more time in bed in the hospital wing than I would like. As most of you know, Severus is no longer at the Dark Lord's side. This means that we have lost intelligence of the enemies of the Light. However, considering the last bit of intelligence, he came home with, the hour of Voldemort's defeat is coming soon." 

Dumbledore cleared his throat and sat down. "As some of you know, Voldemort was using a very dark ritual to keep himself alive. I can't tell you all the details, except for this. The means of his destruction is almost at hand. I urge each of you to stay vigilant. The rest of this meeting will be conducted by Severus and Minerva. I ask that you respect my wishes in this matter. Severus has done everything that could be done for me, so do not blame him for my continued illness. This is a venomous and malicious curse, made by Voldemort himself. I must get back to bed. Poppy will already be upset that I have left the bed for any length of time. The both of them have my fullest confidence and trust. I expect you to honour that." Dumbledore stood and again nodded to Severus to lower and raise the War Wards in the room, slowly made his way out of the room. It was then that Minerva that suddenly rushed toward him and helped him toward the hospital wing, leaving Severus in charge of the meeting.

"Members of the Order, I know that some of you do not want to listen to what I have to say. I understand that, as I have been living a double life for most of my life at the request of Dumbledore. However, I have never wavered in the desire to see the Dark Lord's downfall. I am sure none of you know what it's like to have someone root around your head for deception. I am sure that most of you have never felt the Cruciatus curse on you. It is not pleasant to have it used on you every time you say something that the Dark Lord doesn't like. I have been cursed over and over again, all for the Light to have the intelligence to defeat him. I have done more for the Light than you will ever know. I am not saying this to make you pity me. I am telling you this for you to know, that I want that thing stopped more than any of you could ever know. I want to have a life again, and the only way that I will ever have a life is if the Dark Lord is dead."

There were several mutterings in the crowd at the end of that sentence, but none was in outright anger at the words. Alastor Moody looked toward Severus and nodded his head once; it was a sign of respect that Severus had never thought he would receive. Severus nodded back, showing the old Auror that he understood what was happening. 

"I have urged Albus to select someone else besides myself for this role. However, as someone who knows the dark forces as well as I do, he thought that I would know more about their tactics than others. I never wanted this role; however, I will take it on and do it to the best of my ability. Now, on to Order business, before you in the folders are a list of every Death Eater that I know of. These folders include anything that I have ever observed them doing, including spells, special weapons, talents, etc. I have made a stack for each person in the room for each of you to study. I sadly, don't know everyone in the dark order, as I wasn't there for most of the revels the Dark Lord had. However, the major players in the war before us are here."

Alastor looked at Severus with a hard glare. "Why have you never given us this information before now? We could have used it."

"I have only recently been able to finish and categorize each member that I have associated with. I had to go over every single encounter with each of the people in the folders to get the details in a Pensive. I am sorry to say it has taken a long time to complete. At least, we have them now, before the final battle."

Alastor grumbled a bit to himself but nodded once again, which caused Severus to continue.

"Some folders will have a note attached. There are those in the Dark Order that does not want to fight in the final battle. They will probably not show up at all, or they will pretend that they are fighting. I have noted each of those. This is so that you can watch out for them."

"Why would we need to watch out for them?" asked Tonks, who had just arrived only moments before. 

"These are people that we can perhaps persuade to help us with Intel and other things. I have used Legilimency on them and made sure that their intentions were pure. They really want out of the Dark Lord's service, but the Dark Lord doesn't let you leave, he kills you. Some have families to protect, others just don't believe in his ideals anymore. Regardless of their reason, which is noted in each case, they can be our secret allies. Since I am no longer able to get intel personally, it falls to these few to give us what we need. Are there any questions?"

Not hearing anything, Severus nodded. "Okay, next meeting time will be noted on the coins that Ms Granger has so kindly provided us. It's more secure than a Patronus. She will give one to each of you, make sure that you keep it on you at all times. They are charmed to return to their owner if lost or are away from you for a length of time. This meeting is adjourned." Severus lowered the War Wards and allowed the others to mingle while Hermione walked around, giving out the coins she had created for the DA years before. After she had explained how the coins worked, the members of the Order started to file out of the room. Severus at the last moment called Harry back into the room. "Mr Potter, might I have a word with you before you go?"

Harry nodded and told his friends to go on without him. After they were alone, Severus enacted the War Wards for the room, making the room yet again safe from prying ears. "Harry, I have finished the potion that we talked about. I figured that it was safer to do this in here instead of a classroom or my chambers."

Harry nodded and sat down. "I agree. I mean, I have no idea what kind of power I have that Voldemort knows not. I am not sure that Professor Dumbledore realizes that I find it laughable to say it's love, because until I came to Hogwarts, I never knew what love was." 

Severus nodded. "I understand that feeling. It was a disservice to you to be raised in that home. You should have gone to a Wizarding family, even if it had been in another country. There are many things I wish I could change about your past, but that is the one I regret most. I failed your mother in that regard, however, by the time I got out of Azkaban, I couldn't find you." Severus sighed and shook himself visibly.

Harry grinned, his smile nervous. "It's okay, Professor. You couldn't have known where I was. Who would have thought Dumbledore would have put me with magic hating my aunt and uncle? Anyway, let's get this over with."

Severus nodded, pulling out the vial and his wand. He held out his hand for Harry's and said a spell to create a small cut on his hand. After that, he gathered the needed blood for the potion and the blood flowed inside. After several moments, the vial flashed red, then green. Afterward, Severus nodded and pulled out a large stack of paper and laid it on the table. 

"The piles of paper are charmed to expand and grow to complete the family tree. If it needs more paper, it will create that many. I placed enough drops that the list should go back, at least, ten generations. The pages will contain you, any titles you may inherit, parents, relatives, powers, titles, and statuses."

Harry nodded, remembering the previous conversation. As Severus moved the vial and poured it over the stack, the papers started filling with words, filling upwards with Harry's name on the bottom. However, much to the dismay of the both of them, Harry's name didn't list anything. It was a complete blur under his name where his powers and status should be. 

Harry, looking a bit nervous about the recent development asked. "Professor, what does that mean?"

"In theory, I have two thoughts on the subject. You are under a powerful spell that prevents the potion from working, or it could mean, that the soul fragment in your forehead is preventing this very ancient magic to determining what and who you are. Which means it really needs to be removed as soon as possible. You may need one of the powers for the final battle. I will floo call the Goblin Healer I know in the morning and ask that she look at your scar."

Harry nodded as he continued reading the tree. However, he suddenly got a big shock. "Severus, this section of paper says that Lily Evans was an only child, and lists some interesting facts about her parentage. Aunt Petunia isn't on here."

Severus, who knew of the Petunia that Harry spoke of, quickly examined where Harry pointed on the parchment before him. "Oh, Merlin, this isn't good. That means that the wards on your home never worked at all. I always found it suspicious that Petunia never looked anything like her sister."

"Well, I could have told you that. They certainly never stopped me from being starved, beaten, or attacked by Aunt Marge and her dog."

Severus did a double take at that statement and paused several moments before answering. "We must tell Albus. Not about this potion of course, but he must know. Though, how to tell him without him knowing…"

"Perhaps we can say that we did a Muggle DNA test and it didn't match?"

"How would we explain why we did it? No, I think we will have to do a basic heritage potion in class. It uses your hair instead of blood, and only shows your relatives going back to your great-grandparents, so it's not as detailed."

"Sounds good to me."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Luckily for Harry, when Severus floo-called to the bank the next morning as the doors first opened, they were easily able to make an appointment with the Goblin Healer that very morning. Luckily, it was a Saturday, so they didn't have to worry about Harry missing school. Harry was quite relieved to find out that they had to deal with soul fragments on a semi-regular basis. Apparently, when someone made a portrait, they were asked to put an echo of their soul in the painting. This caused the picture to recall everything that had ever happened to the owner and everything that happened until the person's death. 

Harry hoped that he would be able to have the soul fragment removed, but he wasn't sure if he should. He still had dreams sometimes that told him of Voldemort's plans. They needed the intel since Severus was no longer able to spy on him. However, with the way things were going at the moment, if he came time to destroy Voldemort and the fragment wasn't removed, Voldemort wouldn't die.

After being escorted through the bank, the Goblin escort, whose name was, IronKnife asked Professor Snape to sit down in the waiting room since this was a private consultation. He could have insisted on being inside with Harry, but by the look on Harry's face, there may be things he didn't want the older man to know. 

The Goblin Healer was named Hilaire, who was the first female Goblin that Harry had seen at Gringotts. The bank was managed by male Goblins, which made sense because they were quite vicious when provoked. Hilaire looked quite old, but he wasn't sure if she was or not. She was of average Goblin height and had black hair with little wisps of white braided with feathers and beads. She rather looked like one of those Native American healers that he had seen in a book once at the library only Goblin shaped and not human. 

After being told to lie down on the examination table, Harry laid down, trying his best not to move. Hilaire placed many runes and precious stones along his body, which Harry found interesting. Madam Pomfrey didn't use any of these methods at the school. Perhaps each race had their own methods of healing. He was sure Hermione would know what was going on, and suddenly wished he had brought her with him so he could ask.

Hilaire moved around him, taking readings with what looked like a large diamond staff. She would hum to herself, and move on to another body part. Finally, after what seemed to be eons, she finally spoke. 

"Well, Mr Potter, it appears that you have a number of problems with your body, not just the soul fragment in your scar."

Harry looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "What exactly do you mean? I am not dying or anything am I?"

Hilaire shook her head. "No, young man, you are not dying. You just have some problems due to the fragment and your treatment as a child. Your core is wrapped in a sort of web of black that has seeped out from your scar. It basically means that the soul fragment has wrapped itself around your core to sustain itself. It will take some carefully prepared rituals to not only remove the web, but repair your core, and make you whole again."

Harry shuddered when she mentioned a web of black stuff around his core. He had always had a feeling that something was preventing him from using all of his magic. Now he knew why.

Harry ignored the part about his childhood and asked. "Will the ritual hurt? I always thought something was wrong with me, but I had no idea that it was something like this."

"No, Mr Potter, you will be asleep for most of the procedures. We will have to have you semi-conscious for the web removal, but we will have already dosed you with pain potions."

"Why do I need to be awake for the web removal?"

"We need to make sure that nothing happens to your core, and your core is most active when you are awake. It will help us figure out if we have to do another ritual or if you require additional potions. I would usually say that it may be best to try to heal your body first. However, the fragment may not allow it. I will have to do a few tests to determine the best course of action." 

Harry nodded. "Professor Snape has been giving me a potion regimen to heal some of my damaged organs for several months now, did it help any? If it hasn't, then you don't really have to run your tests, it will be rather obvious."

Hilaire looked perplexed. "Several months you say?"

Harry nodded. "I guess that it didn't help then?"

Hilaire shrugged. "I can only imagine that it has helped. The damage I noticed did appear to have some new healing done, but it didn't look significant to completely reverse the damage. The only two theories is that the damage originally was very extensive, or perhaps the fragment has been using the potion to keep itself alive."

Harry looked down at the floor, "The damage was extensive, and I saw the scan. I… can I trust you with a secret Healer Hilaire? One that I don't want anyone to know?"

Hilaire looked offended for a moment before she truly noticed the typical signs of a child that had been abused. "Young man, I have always kept the confidences of my patients. I don't usually see many humans at all. I have been trained to do so, but I usually only take on a few human patients a year. Your secrets are safe with me, though if you wish, I will adopt a more Wizarding oath for your peace of mind."

Harry nodded, "I would appreciate it, and I am sorry to even ask, but with being who I am, many people try to exploit information about me."

Hilaire shook her head in disgust. "I am sorry that you have had those experiences child. No child should have so much of their life out in the open. However, no one said that humans were as smart as Goblins." 

Harry looked up at her startled by her toothy grin and let out a little laugh. "Thanks for that. So many people don't understand that the thing they celebrate me for is the night I lost everything. I will tell you about it if you like, after the oath. Which, again, I apologize for asking for."

Hilaire shrugged, "I believe I have an idea of why you want the oath child, do not worry, and I am not offended. I, Hilaire of the Clan Heartdweller, do solemnly swear that I will keep the confidences of one Harry James Potter, and will not discuss anything related to him with anyone other than those he gives me leave to discuss it with, so mote it be." After she had finished her oath, the healer was surrounded by a pure white light, which blinded Harry for a few moments. Once the glow went away, Harry began speaking about his horrible childhood and the reasons for the potion regimen to begin with.

Once Harry had talked himself hoarse, he stopped talking. He had never told anyone the whole complete story, and by the shocked gasps, wails, and cries of outrage that came from the Goblin Healer, Harry didn't know what else he could say. The healer almost looked like she was about to cry, and Harry had only a little experience with crying females to draw a reference from.

Hilaire turned around and discretely wiped a few tears from her eyes before turning back toward her patient. She didn't know what to say, but she was grateful that the Professor had found out about the damage and tried his best to heal it without causing the child further embarrassment. "I am glad that your Professor helped you begin the process of healing. It will come in handy. If you don't mind, I would like to talk to him about this regimen that he used."

Harry nodded, "That's fine. I have no problem having him in here or you discussing my care with him."

Turning, she walked toward the door and motioned for the Professor to enter the room. After he was in the room, the Goblin addressed Severus. "I thank you for all that you have done to help Mr Potter. I only wish you had thought to include me in his care before now."

Severus nodded, "We had hoped that my regimen would have worked well enough to correct the damage. It helped cure all my ailments and that of several other choice subjects. However, it didn't seem to work the same way with Harry. We theorized that the soul fragment has been feeding off the potion and only allowing just enough to absorb so its host would survive."

"That is my theory as well. How damaged was Mr Potter's organs when the regimen started?"

"If what I saw stayed uncorrected, Mr Potter would not have lived to see his twentieth year. He was severely malnourished, his organs were damaged or dying, and it is my opinion that if he had not been a wizard, he would have died before he even got to Hogwarts." 

Harry gasped softly when he heard this. Severus had not told him his estimated death was so soon, and he suddenly felt very grateful that Severus had finally put away his petty grievances to help him. Severus looked over at him with a measure of sadness. 

"I should have told you, Harry. However, I didn't want you to think of a particular end date. I knew the potions would help, I am only sorry that they didn't help enough."

"Actually, Mr Snape, your potions did indeed help him. I think they will help even more once we get the soul fragment web from young Potter's core. It has sadly wrapped its darkness tight around him. Have you noticed any difficulty in casting certain spells, Mr Potter?"

"Not especially, though I do sometimes have a problem casting light spells around those that my magic determines as dark. It was one of the reasons I needed to get rid of the fragment before the final battle." 

"You can determine if someone's magic is dark or light?" the Healer said in an astonished voice.

"Sometimes, I think it helps that I have a fragment of _him_ in my forehead. I will probably lose the ability when it is removed."

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. It may be a natural ability. Some species have that ability naturally. Have you been able to determine your gifts yet, Mr Potter?"

Harry shook his head. "No, my abilities are clouded, we suppose due to the fragment. The odd thing wasn't just my fuzzy skills and status. It was the information about my mother that had both of us stumped. Professor Snape has known my mum most of her life. He was very shocked to notice that she was listed as a Half-Blood instead of a Muggle-Born. It also said that she was an only child, her parents' names are obscured. The only information we could see about her other than her genetic status was that she was listed as an Animagus, which not one of my father's friends has mentioned. I was raised by a woman that I was told was my aunt, and according to the test, she wasn't even related to me distantly."

"Ahhh, I think that is something I can help you with. When I was asked to help you, I checked for all the information that we have concerning you. I found the Heir box that was entrusted to us before your parent's death. Perhaps it can shed some light on the subject."

Harry looked enraged for several moments before calming down. "Let me guess, the box had a time limit on it, and no one thought to tell me about it?"

"You should have received it on your 16th birthday, which is usually when the Heir ring is presented to an heir. I can only assume that since your legal guardian was killed by that time that you were never given the box. I do apologize for that. I will have to get my husband to find out why your account manager didn't let you know about the box."

"Account manager? I don't have an account manager that I know of."

"Of course, you do. Everyone that has an account at the bank is given an account manager. Your manager would be the same one that your father inherited on his birth from his parents. All family members usually use the same account manager, though sometimes it is otherwise. I will have this matter investigated, you should have been contacted by your account manager as soon as you first stepped foot into the Wizarding world for the first time."

Before Harry could say anything, Hilaire waved away his response. "I promise that I will have the matter looked into, in the meantime, we must get on with the soul removal. While I gather the needed healers for the ritual, I need you to go over to the curtained off area in the corner, use the blue and green bottles to scrub your entire body, head included, and put on the white robe on the hook behind the divider, and the provided modesty cloth."

Harry nodded and looked at Professor Snape before he followed the healer's instructions. After he had moved beyond the curtain, Severus looked at the healer and whispered. "What aren't you saying?"

Hilaire put up a silencing ward, and said, "If we don't get that soul fragment out of him tonight, he may not live to see tomorrow." 

Severus gasped and did his best imitation of a fish out of water. "What? I thought you said my potions were helping?"

"They are, it's probably what has kept him alive this long. The fragment has been trying to take over his core. How he has lasted this long without it happening is a blessing from the Gods. However, it is very close to breaking into the boy's core, and I fear that if we don't do this now, he won't be the boy you know much longer."

"What do you think will happen?" Severus asked, dreading the answer.

"I can only speculate, but since it is the soul of a dark wizard, I would assume that if it took over the boy's core, it would either kill him or turn him into a dark wizard as well. Another possibility, well, I am sure I don't have to say that." 

Severus shuddered. "We can't allow that to happen. Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Yes. I know you straddle the world of light and dark too well. I need you to do something against your nature. Choose the light entirely, and use that light to help fuel the ritual. Focus only your light magic, your love for the boy's mother, and the caring you have come to feel for the boy into the circle."

Severus stumbled against the altar that was in the middle of the room. "You want me to what? How do you know any of that? I have never told you any of that."

"I know many things, Severus Tobias Snape. I have been blessed with the ability to heal, but I also am a minor Seer. Most of the time, the ability is latent, however, after you called upon me this morning, I had several visions on how this ritual would occur. The only chance of success is for you to feed your light magic into the circle. If you do not, Harry will die when the piece of soul is removed."

*~*~*~*~*~*

While both Harry and Severus were being cleansed for the ritual, the Goblins activated the runes to cleanse the ritual space of any contaminates and remains of previous rituals. Harry had never seen a ritual before and absorbed what he could while he was waiting. When the time came, Harry was laying on the altar, and Severus was placed on a stool covered in runes, near Harry's head. Harry had been told only the barest of information in regards to Severus being in the ritual circle, but he was glad for the presence of his Professor during the portion of the ritual where he would be awake. 

Hilaire returned to the ritual circle in a beautiful arraignment of leather, beads, feathers, and covered in runes from head to toe and even on her clothing. The Goblins around her were more sedately attired, but each had runes covering the surface of their clothing. Harry was already given a paralyzing potion, and pain potions, which would keep him still during the removal of the fragment. He was so scared, but he tried his best to keep a positive outlook. 

The ritual was in the Goblin language, so Harry really didn't understand what was said. He didn't think anything was happening at first, but after several minutes, he felt a soothing energy coming from his head. Harry knew that Professor Snape must have a job to do in the ritual, and he assumed this was it. He felt comforted and if he could have shivered, he would have been in awe of the light magic that was flowing throughout the circle from his Professor. Harry had no idea that Severus was capable of such pure light magic. 

After a while, Harry felt a tug inside his chest. If he hadn't been so doped up on pain potions, he would have screamed out in pain. It was then he felt the soothing magic of his Professor again, and it calmed his racing heart. In what seemed like hours later, a very exhausted looking Hilaire called to Severus. "Severus, I know you are tired, but he needs just a bit more magic from you. Say the words Severus, you have them within you."

"Lady Magic, hear my cry, give me the strength to choose the right side. Let my magic be cleansed of all the dark magic in my soul, so that I may be able to help this boy, who you have tasked with an important mission. So I Ask, So Mote It Be!"

Severus let out a cry, as the healing energies in the circle converged on the older man, and cleansed him of all the dark magic that was staining his soul. When it was done, Severus gasped. He felt so alive! He had never felt this well even when he was a child. With his new found energies, he pushed all the magic he could into the young boy, giving everything he could. He knew he would soon pass out from exhaustion soon, but he didn't care. While Severus wasn't looking, a scream erupted in the air, and a stream of black leaked down the arm of the man, and was absorbed into the rune set at his feet.

After several moments, Harrys' mouth opened in a silent scream, and a slimy, oily black substance came pouring out of Harry's scar. The smoke hovered over the boy, an angry face arising from the cloud, looking out of the smoke. While the smoke was distracted, Hilaire and the other Goblins chanted in earnest, and she held up a globe, using the magic of the circle to trap the smoke inside it. Severus sagged against the altar, and while he was catching his breath, Hilaire was pouring a potion down Harry's throat. Once Harry could move again, the both of them were levitated down the hallway and into a guest suite. Where both of them passed out cold.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Twelve hours later, Severus awoke with a start. He looked around the room and noticed Hilaire was checking on Harry. The boy had already gained some colour, and seemed to be resting peacefully. He stood on shaky legs and walked toward the other bed and sat on the edge. 

"How is he?"

"He is doing much better, thanks to you, Severus."

Severus shook his head. "I wouldn't have been able to help without you. I didn't even think that I was even really helping." Severus at that moment looked up and noticed a mirror in the room. Severus looked stunned. His appearance that he used for singing in Harry and Draco's band was completely visible. He made a move to put the guise back on, but Hilaire shook her head. 

"I don't think it's possible for the image to work now though you may try if you so wish. Also, I suggest you check your arm, Severus."

"What do you mean? I have used it for a number of years, why would it suddenly stop working?" Severus didn't understand the previous comment and continued on the vein of the other part of the conversation.

"You are a different person now, Severus. The darkness is completely gone, all of it, and it was the darkness that allowed you to lock that guise to your core."

"I didn't create it with dark magic, it was just to let me walk around without being a disruption."

"And you no longer need that."

"I can't teach like this! The students won't pay attention to me looking like this, they are distracted enough when I sing, I don't need them blowing up cauldrons too." 

Hilaire laughed, showing off her many razor sharp teeth. "Do not worry, I will give you an object that you can wear with the proper runes to let you assume your old guise. However, if you gradually let your new light show, and prove to them that you still will accept no funny business in your class, I think that you will not need it long. Just don't tell them where you got it from."

Severus stuttered for a moment and then nodded his head. "Thank you. I would very much appreciate that."

"Now, check your left arm Severus, then we will talk about Harry."

Severus looked down at his arm, where the ugly mark had been for so much of his life, it was faded, and no longer caused him pain. It had been painful for a number of years now. He didn't remember a time when it didn't hurt.

"It's mostly gone…"

"Yes, all the magic he was stealing from you is gone now. The next time he tries to summon you, check your arm, it should be gone completely, and it will guide you to his defeat."

Severus nodded, his face a mixture of elation, slightly of hope, and much relief. "Thank you, Hilaire. I don't know how to repay you."

"It's just a nice side effect of the ritual, Severus. Now, let's talk about the young boy now, your potions should work to fix the rest of the damage. If it doesn't, please bring him to me immediately. I would prefer to check him out again before this battle you spoke of. I will give you an emergency portkey to bring you directly to my ritual space lobby. Be sure to use it before the battle if you can. He will need all the help he can get."

Severus nodded, watching her walk out of the room. As soon as Harry was awake, he took him back to Hogwarts, where several anxious people were waiting at the front doors. "He is fine, he just needs his rest. I will take him to my guest room where I can watch him overnight. No arguments."

Minerva, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Poppy looked like they wanted to argue, and he wasn't about to have a room full of Gryfindors in his chambers, so he finally compromised and told them that Draco could come with him. After speaking, Severus quickly lifted Harry and took him to his private rooms and laid Harry on the bed. "I will leave you to help get him comfortable, Draco. I need just as much rest as he does at this point."

Draco nodded and began to pull Harry's socks and shoes off and summoned Harry's pyjamas and replaced them with his clothes with a flick of his wand and settled down next to Harry to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been several weeks since Severus had last dosed Nagini when got a reaction from the Dark Mark. He could tell it was different from the last time he was summoned. It was weaker and it barely bothered him at all. In times past, a summons from the Dark Lord came with excruciating pain just to remind him that he was the Dark Lord's minion and subject to his will. Now it barely tickled. Severus looked across the table toward the Headmistress and gave her the signal for a meeting with the Order. It was time it seemed to end this horrible nightmare once and for all. 

Standing, he quickly sauntered down the aisle toward what was now being called the War Room. Once there, he tapped the large round table with his wand and sent out a signal to all the members of the Order, and the youngster that had the task of defeating Voldemort. Incidentally, he summoned Granger and Weasley as well. There was no doubt in his mind that the both of them would try to follow Harry if he went off to fight without them. He almost summoned Draco, but considering the boy was his godson, he didn't know if he would want him in the fight. If he followed Potter later, well, that was not his decision. 

While waiting, Severus checked his arm for the mark, and as Hilaire had predicted, it was gone completely. It was time, the Dark Lord would soon be gone from this world, never to return this time.

After a good hour, all of the requested members had arrived. Some looked harried and sleepy; others looked like they had just gotten off work. The three students looked like they had run all the way to the room. Severus would have to talk to them about using more discretion later. 

Severus cleared his throat and looked around the gathered group. "I was summoned tonight."

Severus had waited a moment before he continued since several people started talking at once. Again, he cleared his throat and quieted down the group. "I didn't call you here for insignificant reasons. If you will please stop interrupting, I will inform you of why I called this meeting."

Chagrined they quietened and looked attentively at Severus. After waiting for any more interruptions, Severus began to explain. "I know that none of you understand this since you haven't experienced it yourself. However, usually, when the Dark Mark summons the Dark Lord's followers, it is a sharp, intense pain that sometimes hurts for days afterward. When I was called this evening, it was a mere tickle and had no compulsion behind it to journey to his side. In other words, the Dark Lord is beyond weak, and it is time we put final plans into motion."

"How do we really know he is weak enough to attack?" said Alastor Moody.

Severus rolled up his sleeve and presented his unblemished arm. "In a ritual last month, the power behind the Dark Mark was removed from my core as a side effect of a cleansing ritual for Mr Potter. It was faded, and the leaching effect on my magic disappeared. I was told by the healer that when he tried to use it to call me, it would disappear completely if he was weak enough to defeat. She is a minor Seerer, and she has rightly predicted the conditions of the Dark Lord's downfall."

Severus looked over toward the ex-Headmaster and noticed that he looked even older than he had last seen him several weeks before at the concert. He then looked over at Harry, who had a look of determination, and slight embarrassment on his face, though he looked perplexed about something. He caught Harry's gaze and lightly skimmed the boy's surface thoughts after Harry nodded. _We need to call Ms Hilaire._

Severus nodded his head, and sent a thought of after the meeting tonight toward the boy and addressed the crowd. "We shall meet back here tomorrow night with everyone that can. We need to make formulate plans on where the battle will take place, and other things. We want as little casualties on our side as we can." Severus looked toward Albus, giving him the floor to talk before the murmurs got out of hand.

Albus nodded and addressed the group. "My friends, I am not able to do any fighting due to the curse that is upon me. Severus and several others have been working diligently on a cure, but so far, the curse seems resistant to every form of potion, charm, curse breaking, or natural magic. Since I cannot lead, and there is no stronger strategists among us, it falls upon me to leave Severus and Minerva in charge of the final battle. As much as it pains me, my magic is more focused on keeping me alive, which doesn't help in casting spells for the fight. I will, of course, be doing all I can from the sidelines to help the cause. I would not abandon you if it were not dire."

Severus sent a sad look toward Dumbledore, feeling like he has failed his Mentor in several ways by not being able to find a cure, even Hilaire said that the curse was too well rooted to be of any help. He turned again and addressed the group. "I know that you are not used to following my orders. However, I am in co-charge of this endeavour. I hope that you will listen to me and make an effort to follow my rules so that we all come out of this battle alive. Try to arrive at the same time as today. If you can't make it, please send Minerva or myself a note so we know not to expect you. Mr Potter, please stay, I would like a word with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are only a few more chapters left to this story. I have finally seen the ending! I will be sorry to see this story go, but I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Numb is by Linkin Park.


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